Praxiteles (around 395 BC-320 BC) was Greek sculptor in Athens in the 4th century before our time. Pliny, he is praised because of his art of marble processing. Beyond that bronze work are also known. Contrary to today's idea that the noble effect of marbles is caused only by the white stone, Praxiteles had painted his sculptures by the painter of Nicias.

Today more than fifty works are known due to a description written tradition. They were completely lost as sculptures, the Romans had not made replicas. Praxiteles topics were the gods of Mount Olympus, which he represented as youthful forever. Moreover, portrait and grave statues testify to the popularity of the Athenian sculptor among his contemporaries. His best-known statue and according to Pliny "Athens Aphrodite" is the most beautiful "on the whole circle of the Earth". In fifty large plastic Roman replicas which the baths undressing beauties has been preserved. In addition to further images of Aphrodite, Praxiteles made Eros statue, which gave rise to many piquant anecdotes by their nakedness. One of his most famous young man statues is the preserved in twenty Roman replicas "Apollo of Sauroktonos". The most successful can be admired in the Louvre museum in Paris and in the Vatican.

The sculptor succeeded repeatedly to give grace to its articles of Association by a schonlinig curved contour. He put more value for his idols on a differentiated presentation of emotional feelings, because time-typical representation of the sublime character and gave them to a human appearance.