Many artists who lived after Phidias applied the principles of idealism, harmony, and measured proportions in their artworks, believing that these qualities would make their works pleasing and beautiful. Phidias was a pioneering figure in establishing the Classical Greek idealist style, especially through his monumental sculptures of gods like the Athena Parthenos and Zeus at Olympia, which set a standard for depicting divine figures with calm, dignified expressions and sublime presence
. His approach combined a balance between divine transcendence and human accessibility, reflecting philosophical influences such as those of Homer, Sophists, and Anaxagoras, who emphasized reason and human potential. This blend of idealized form and emotional restraint became a canon for centuries, inspiring countless artists in Greece, Rome, and beyond to emulate his style in sculpture, painting, and architecture
. Phidias's work was seen as a physical manifestation of cultural confidence and artistic skill (technē), and his style influenced later sculptors like his pupils Alcamenes and Agoracritus, who continued to create cult images following his aesthetic principles
. The enduring admiration for his art is evident in how subsequent generations regarded his depictions of gods as definitive, often believing that Phidias had captured the very essence of the divine
. Thus, many artists after Phidias applied his ideals of beauty, harmony, and sublimity in their works, convinced that these qualities would evoke admiration and a sense of the divine, making their art both pleasing and beautiful.
