Bryaxis

Bryaxis was a Greek sculptor of the 4th century BC. He is known primarily through ancient literary sources, including Pliny the Elder and Pausanias, though some scholars have attempted to attribute specific sculptural fragments to him based on stylistic analysis.

Bryaxis is believed to have been one of the sculptors involved in the creation of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Pliny mentions Bryaxis as responsible for the north side of the Mausoleum, along with Scopas, Leochares, and Timotheus, each contributing to a different side of the monumental structure. These sculptors were renowned for their individual styles and contributions to late Classical and early Hellenistic sculpture.

While no extant sculptures are definitively attributable to Bryaxis with absolute certainty, scholars have proposed that certain fragments from the Mausoleum, particularly those depicting Amazons, may reflect his artistic style. His work is generally associated with a dramatic and expressive style, characterized by dynamic poses and detailed anatomical rendering.

Beyond his work on the Mausoleum, Bryaxis is also credited with a statue of Serapis in Alexandria. This statue was commissioned by Ptolemy I Soter, the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. The statue became an important cult image for the syncretic Greco-Egyptian religion centered on Serapis. The specific appearance of this statue is not fully known, though ancient sources suggest it was influenced by both Greek and Egyptian artistic traditions.

The legacy of Bryaxis lies primarily in his contribution to the Mausoleum and the Serapis statue. While his artistic style is difficult to define precisely due to the lack of securely attributed works, he is considered a significant figure in the transition from the Classical to the Hellenistic periods of Greek sculpture. His involvement in the creation of two highly influential monuments underscores his importance in the history of ancient art.