Atlant atlantid or atlas
DEFINITION
A muscular male nude, either carved or painted, acting as a column or pillar, carrying an architrave or other architectural element. This is the male counterpart of a caryatid. Named after Atlas, the Titan (giant) who in Greek mythology was condemned to carry the earth and the heavens on his shoulders. The atlant, employed in both Roman and Greek architecture, was revived in Baroque architecture and painting. The Romans called such figures telamones. The plural form of atlant is atlantes.Example: Michelangelo Buonarroti (Italian, 1475-1564), The Bearded Slave, also known as Atlant, 1527-28, marble, height 8 feet 4 3/4 inches (277 cm), width 2 feet 4 3/4 inches, depth 3 feet 1/2 inch, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence. This allegorical figure is one of several intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome.Also see post and lintel, Greek art, Roman art, and statue.