Aegina E 3, Right Opponent of E. Ped. 2, full figure, from right
Aegina E 3, Right Opponent of E. Ped. 2, full figure, from slightly left
Aegina E 3, Right Opponent of E. Ped. 2, full figure, from back of pediment
Aegina E 3, Right Opponent of E. Ped. 2, figure from behind pediment
Aegina E 3, Right Opponent of E. Ped. 2, right foot
Aegina E 3, Right Opponent of E. Ped. 2, right arm
| Collection: | Munich, Glyptothek |
| Title: | Aegina, E. Ped. 2, fig. E 3: Opponent of right Champion |
| Context: | From Aegina, Sanctuary of Aphaia |
| Findspot: | Excavated at Aegina, Sanctuary of Aphaia |
| Summary: | Right Opponent stumbling back |
| Material: | Marble |
| Sculpture Type: | Architectural |
| Category: | Statuary group |
| Placement: | East pediment 2 |
| Style: | Late Archaic |
| Technique: | In-the-round |
| Date: | ca. 490 BC - ca. 480 BC |
| Dimensions: | H. 1.105 m |
| Scale: | Life-size |
| Region: | Saronic Gulf |
| Period: | Late Archaic |
| In Group: | Aegina East Pediment 2 |
Subject Description:
The warrior faces left, confronting the Champion. If the Champion is indeed Priam, this figure must be one of the Aeginetan heroes. He has been seriously wounded in the chest, which is unprotected. His body armor consists only of greaves, in addition to his shield, weapon — probably a sword — and presumably a sword case. He has apparently lost his helmet. (See the following figure E4.) The discovery of the left foot fragment with plinth was critical for the precise placement of the figure in the pediment, although a drawing by the Cockerell expedition who discovered the sculptures in 1811 correctly restored its relative position and pose based simply on the find spot in front of the East Pediment. Until recently the figure was restored as standing but with a strong backward tilt. Ohly has now shown conclusively that the torso is in fact nearly vertical, as if the warrior is resisting the backward fall which will inevitably follow. Life is ebbing quickly from the figure, but the effects are depicted in subtle ways. The knees have begun to buckle. The left fingers have let go of the grip. The shield-stay has slipped almost to the wrist. The weight of the shield is pulling the body left and back, and consequently toward the viewer. Although the head is lost and the neck recut by Thorvaldsen, a pre-restoration cast of the torso exists. Ohly restores the head slumping toward the left shoulder.
Form & Style:
The twist of the torso is greater in this figure and care was taken to render the skewed effect on muscles and bones correctly. Individual parts of the abdominal cavity are completely subordinated to the whole. Surface modulation is quiet. The greatest interest is in the effect of the wounds: those muscles still tensed in an effort to remain erect, e.g. in the shoulders and upper body, and those which are giving out, as in the legs. The greatest expression of all must have been reserved for the face. Ohly believes the similarities between E2 and E3 suggest a single hand.
Date Description: See discussion of pediment.
Condition: Nearly complete
Condition Description: This figure was restored by Thorvaldsen. Most of the figure is in Munich. Statue lacks the head and right leg. Later finds including most of the left arm and left foot with plinth are in Aegina and proved crucial to understanding the figure, which was once restored on its back.
Material Description:
Parian Marble
Associated Building: Aegina, Temple of Aphaia