Apollo of Mantua

The Apollo of Mantua and its various iterations are among the earliest representations of the Apollo Citharoedus statue type, depicting Apollo with a cithara, an ancient Greek musical instrument, in his left arm. The original statue discovered in Mantua dates back to the late 1st or early 2nd century but is believed to be inspired by a Greek bronze original from the 5th century BCE. This piece reflects the style of the renowned sculptor Polyclitus, though it incorporates some older, more archaic elements. In these statues, Apollo is shown holding the cithara against his left arm, and some versions even include a fragment of a twisting horn.

Several replicas of this statue type exist, with significant examples housed in the national museums of Naples and Mantua. The original statue, now lost, was likely made of bronze. There is some speculation that Hegias of Athens, who taught the renowned sculptor Phidias, might have been involved in its creation, although no works by Hegias have survived to confirm this.

Notable replicas of the Apollo of Mantua include:

- The Naples Apollo of Mantua, a bronze statue found in Pompeii.

- The Louvre Apollo of Mantua, once part of the Bibliothèque Mazarine collection and now housed in the Louvre.

- The Fogg Art Museum's Apollo of Mantua, which features a Roman bronze head of the Apollo of Mantua type, originally about one-third lifesize.

These replicas help us appreciate the enduring influence of ancient Greek art and its stylistic evolution through the ages.