Apollo Belvedere, a statue, perhaps the greatest existing work of ancient art, representing the god Apollo at the moment of his victory over the Python. It was found in 1503 among the ruins of ancient Antium (now Porto d'Anzo), and derives its name from its position in the Belvedere of the Vatican, where it was placed by Pope Julius II., who had purchased it before his accession to the papal throne. It was removed by the French in 1797, but replaced after 1815. The statue is of heroic size, and shows the very perfection of manly beauty. The god stands with the left arm extended, still holding the bow, while his right hand, which has just left the string, is near his hip. This right hand and part of the right arm, as well as the left hand, were wanting in the statue when found, and were restored by Angelo da Montorsoli, a pupil of Michel An-gelo. The figure is nude; only a short cloak hangs over the left shoulder. The breast is full and dilated; the muscles are conspicuous, though not exaggerated; the body seems a little thin about the hips, but is poised with such singular grace as to impart to the whole a beauty hardly possessed by any other statue.

The sculptor is unknown; many attribute the statue to Agasias the Ephesian, others to Praxiteles or Calamis; but its origin and date must remain a matter of conjecture.