Bu'palus
an architectandsculptor of the island of Chios, where his family is said to have exercised the art of statuary from the beginning of the Olympiads. (
Plin. Nat. 36.5; comp. Thiersch,
Epoch. Anm. p. 58.) Bupalus and his brother Athenis are said by Pliny (
l.c.) and Suidas (
s. v. Ἱππῶναξ) to have made caricatures of the famous iambographical poet Hipponax, which the poet requited by the bitterest satires. (Welcker,
Hipp. fragm. p. 12.)
This story, which we have no grounds for doubting, gives at once a pretty certain date for the age of the two artists, for Hipponax was a contemporary of Dareius (B. C. 524-485); and it also accounts for their abilities, which for their time must have been uncommon.
This is proved moreover by the fact, that Augustus adorned most of his temples at Rome with their works.
It is to be noticed that
marble was their material.
In the earlier period of Greek art wood and bronze was the common material, until by the exertions of Dipoenus and Scyllis, and the two Chian brothers, Bupalus and Athenis, marble became more general. Welcker (
Rhein. Museum, iv. p. 254) has pointed out the great importance which Bupalus and his brother acquired by forming entire groups of statues, which before that time had been wrought as isolated figures.
The father of Bupalus and Athenis, likewise a celebrated artist, is generally called Anthermus, which being very differently spelt in the different MSS. has been rejected by Sillig (
Cat. Art. s. v.), who proposes to read Archeneus.
The reading Anthermus for the son's name instead of Athenis has long been generally given up.
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W.I]
