An eternal image of youthful male beauty, this statue dazzles us as if it were a life-sized work. The laurel crown in his hair identifies the subject as Apollo, god of learning and the arts. While the elegant but slender proportions identify the style as Hellenistic in the manner of the sculptor Lysippos. The vanished treasure he once extended in his hands was probably made of gold. Looking upon this superb sculpture--the work of a master--we do not doubt for a minute that his beauty is not merely human, but divine. It is as if the god himself had inspired the artist.