Forged, Copied or Misunderstood? The Carlsberg Diadumenos Revisited

Authors

  • Fredrik Engel Møller University of Copenhagen

Abstract

The so-called Diadumenos Carlsberg, a marble statue at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, was bought by Carl Jacobsen in 1895 as an original ancient artwork inspired by the work of Polykleitos. A year later it was denounced as a modern forgery, and it has subsequently been hidden away in the study collection at the museum. Yet, it may still provide insights into how antiquity is perceived, both in the present and at the time of its acquisition. The story behind its purchase as a copy of a masterwork of Polykleitos, and the reasoning behind its dismissal as a modern fake, may show us how connoisseurs understood and perceived antiquity through a modern lens, and how contemporary artists have influenced perceptions of their ancient predecessors.

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Published

2023-10-07

Issue

Vol. 11 (2023): CLARA: Classical Art and Archaeology

Section

Essays

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