Dioscorides (stone cutter)

Dioscorides ( ancient Greek Διοσκουρίδης ) was an ancient Greek stone cutter . He is considered the outstanding stone cutter of the late Roman Republic and the early Imperial Era .

Life and accomplishments

the Gemma Augustea , probably from the Dioscurides workshop

Based on the signature (right) on a work by one of his sons with the addition Aigeaios , one can assume that Dioscurides came from the Cilician Aigeai . Aigeai was an ancient center of stone cutting and until 63 BC. Under the rule of the Seleucids . Then the Romans conquered Cilicia under Gnaeus Pompeius and incorporated it as a province into the Roman Empire. In the course of this development, at least probably before the middle of the century, Dioscurides came to Rome. Whether he was already working as a stone cutter in Aigeai must remain speculation, as well as whether he learned his craft there. Signed pieces are not known from the pre-Roman times, unless the portrait of a Hellenistic ruler, which only exists in three modern copies, comes from there. There is no evidence that Dioscurides came to Rome as a slave; It is more likely that he voluntarily moved to Rome, where he opened his own workshop and carried out a significant number of orders for the Roman upper class.

Imprint of an intaglio showing Pallas Athene with the signature of the son Eutyches, which also gives the origin of the father; Walters Art Museum , Baltimore (inventory number 42.1028)

the great cameo of France , probably from the Dioscurides workshop

This workshop, headed by Dioscurides, must have been very successful. He employed several employees, including his sons Eutyches , Herophilos and Hyllos as well as the students Agathopus , Saturneinos and Epitynchanos . In Augustan times he was head ( praepositus ) of the imperial workshop. The importance of Dioscurides becomes clear through several references. For example, there is an unusually large number of traditional gems with his signature. However, it is particularly striking in view of the contract awarded to him to create the seal with the portrait of Augustus for the ruler (between 28 and 17 BC), which has not survived , which has even been handed down by Pliny and Suetonius . The chronological arrangement of the works is based on a development from a Hellenistic image composition to a much calmer, classical image composition. Dioscurides is one of the founders of the Augustan-classicist gem style, alongside Solon .

In addition to three pieces that are modern copies based on probably real ancient models, there are also many other modern creations that are not based on the ancient models, but make use of the well-known name of Dioscurides. However, various unsigned antique pieces are also attributed to him or at least to his workshop on the basis of stylistic comparisons. Contrary to what is repeatedly claimed, the Gemma Augustea is very likely not one of them. Since this is dated around the year 10 AD, one must assume that Dioscurides was no longer active at this time and very likely already died. Nevertheless, it stands clearly in the tradition of the works of the Dioscurides workshop. The Great Cameo of France ( Grand Camée de France ) and the “Drunky Bacchus ”, highly valued by Johann Joachim Winckelmann, are also included in the workshop.

The motifs consist mainly of portraits and mythological scenes. Dioscurides had a particular preference for the representation of columns. What was unusual was that he had mastered both gems and cameos . His work is very carefully designed, but not overly detailed.

List of works

Today, 12 signed works by Dioscurides are known:

shape material motive signature collection comment image Gem Carnelian Bust of the horned Io , who turns her head slightly to the left ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ clockwise in the print National Archaeological Museum of Florence also Carneol Poniatowski called Gem amethyst frontal bust of Demosthenes , head turned slightly to the left ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ clockwise in the print Privately owned Gem Carnelian Diomedes with the palladium on an altar, in front of it a column on which a statue stands, in front of it a lying man who was killed ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ clockwise in the print Collection of the Duke of Devonshire , Chatsworth House , Chatsworth Gem Carnelian Bellerophon subdues Pegasus ancient Greek […] ΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ clockwise in the print Museum of Fine Arts , Boston (27,737) Gem is fragmented Gem Carnelian naked Mercury with a caduceus and a ram's head on a tray in the left profile, the head turned to the front ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ clockwise in the print British Museum , London Gem Carnelian standing Mercury with petasus , short cloak and caduceus frontal ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ clockwise in the print Fitzwilliam Museum , Cambridge also Carneol Marlborough called Gem Carnelian Naked Achilles standing in the midst of his weapons head-on next to a rock ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ clockwise in the print National Archaeological Museum of Naples (254) cameo Sardonyx Hercules ties Kerberus (motif to the right) ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡΙΔΟΥ in the original clockwise Antikensammlung Berlin (FG 11062) cameo Legs of a man and a woman, as well as a lion skin on a rock (possibly Heracles and Omphale ) ancient Greek ΔΙΟϹΚΟΥΡ […] in the original clockwise lost Cameo is fragmented Gem frontal bust of wreathed Gaius Iulius Caesar modern copy of a probably ancient, meanwhile lost original Gem Cicero portrait in left profile two modern copies (made of amethyst or carnelian) of a presumably ancient, now lost original; both are in the Cabinet des Médailles in Paris Gem youthful Hellenistic ruler, but without a band, in the left profile three modern copies (made of amethyst, garnet and carnelian) of a presumably ancient, now lost original

literature

• Otto Rossbach : Dioscurides 16 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume V, 1, Stuttgart 1903, column 1143.
• Andreas Rumpf : Dioscurides 9th In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 2, Stuttgart 1967, column 92.
• Simone Michel : Dioscurides [8]. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 3, Metzler, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-476-01473-8 , Sp. 672.
• Wolf-Rüdiger Megow : Dioscurides (IV). In: Rainer Vollkommer (editor): Künstlerlexikon der Antike . Over 3800 artists from three millennia. Nikol, Hamburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-937872-53-7 , pp. 182-183.

Web links

Commons : Dioskurides  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

1. ↑ Pliny: Naturalis historia. 37, 8
2. ^ Suetonius: Augustus. 50
3. ↑ Kunsthistorisches Museum , Vienna
4. ↑ Erika Zwierlein-Diehl : Glass pastes in the Martin-von-Wagner-Museum of the University of Würzburg . tape I . Prestel-Verlag, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-7913-0744-4 , pp. 282 .
5. ↑ Erika Zwierlein-Diehl : Glass pastes in the Martin-von-Wagner-Museum of the University of Würzburg . tape I . Prestel-Verlag, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-7913-0744-4 , pp. 101-102 .