Lysippos was from the city of Sikyon in Corinth. He worked in bronze and was regarded as one of the greatest sculptors of all epochs. He was much favored by Alexander the Great. His work falls within the Late Classical period (430-400 BC), but is characterized with features that presage the new Hellenistic era, and which laid the foundations for it.
Some 1500 works, scattered among many ancient cities, are attributed to this prolific sculptor, though only marble copies remain of some of them.
His subject matter included that of all ancient sculpture-althletes, gods, heroes, muses, philosopher, poets, kings, etc, but he also introduced newer elements, including an increase in the length of the human form and a reduction in the size of the head, as well as a freer movement of figures, given the illusion of three-dimensional space.
He founded a school which perpetuated his teachings. Some of his greatest works include the huge statue of Zeus that stood in the marketplace of Tarentum, a statue known as 'Time' in Olympia, which presents an allegorical depiction of time showing a nude youth with long waving hair running, the statue of Socrates in the Pompeion in Keramikos in Athens, many busts and statues of Alexander the Great, The 'Apoxyomenos', depicting a seating athlete.
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