Praxiteles
3 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Praxiteles. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
praks-it'e-leez, a famous sculptor of Greece. The details of his life are not known. He was born probably about 400 B. C. He was one of the greatest sculptors of ancient times. His life fell in the period succeeding that of Phidias, the great master of the sculptor's art. Phidias worked for the public; Praxiteles worked for private employers. His figures, groups, and statues were made chiefly for the adornment of palaces and private grounds. A number of his masterpieces are known through copies which have escaped destruction. Only one original is known certainly to have been preserved. It is a statue of Hermes bearing the infant Dionysius on his arm. It was discovered by German excavators in the ruins of Olympia. It is still preserved in a museum there. The face of the god is considered the most beautiful Greek face known to art. The Capitolian Museum at Rome possesses a satyr leaning gracefully on a support. It is almost certainly a faithful reproduction of one of the artist's greatest works. It furnished the subject for the title of Hawthorne's Marble Faun. Other reproductions are preserved in the Louvre, at Florence, Berlin, and elsewhere.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a celebrated Greek sculptor; born about 360 b. c., who executed several fine statues, in bronze and marble, of Bacchus, a satyr, Venus, and Apollo. An ancient copy of one of his works, the "Apollo Sauroctonos," is the only example extant. Phryne, the celebrated Thespian courtesan, was his mistress, and served as the model for his statues of Venus. Two of his sons acquired fame as sculptors. He died about 280 B. C.
1000 Classical Characters (1900)
A famous sculptor of Greece, who lived about 324 years before the Christian era. The most famous of his works was a Cupid, which he gave to Phryne. He executed a statue of Phryne, and also one of Venus . 2026 Editor's Note: Praxiteles was the first to sculpt the nude female form in a life-size statue. No indubitably attributable sculpture by Praxiteles survives; the works known today are copies, though ancient authors including Pliny the Elder documented his originals. His relationship with the courtesan Phryne inspired later artistic works ranging from paintings to comic opera to shadow plays. (Ed: BR 2026-06-01)