“Doryphoros” and Classical Sculpture

The Doryphoros is a Greek sculpture that was done in the classical period by Polykleitos depicting a warrior who is in mid-motion holding a spear with his left hand. The original sculptural work was cast using bronze in around 440 BCE and was lost 1 . The surviving copy was sculpted out of marble by the Romans. Doryphoros is the perfect example of classical sculpture movement that brought life to the archaic style 2 . Discussed herein is the nature of the Doryphoros and its role in classical sculpture. 

The current marble copy of the Doryphoros was sculptured at around 120 to 50 BCE. It is in fact thought that none of Polykleito’s original works have survived to date. However, the general form and shapes can be deduced from the copies that were completed by the Romans. The sculpture was created to portray the proportionate form of man. There are distinct ratios which govern the size of each of the body parts in relation to the rest of the body. 

The figure is taller than the average human being, standing at about 2 meters tall. The sculpture represents an athlete who is heavily built, with his muscles being physically prominent (see Image 1 in Appendix). The left foot is slightly lifted backwards while the right foot is sturdy on the ground. The general posture is of one who is walking forwards 3 . The sculpture was designed to conform to the most ideal proportions if symmetry. The head, for instance, is about seven times the size of the body. It also depicts the highest level of fitness that could be achieved for a man. 

Classical era sculptural art refers to Ancient Greek or Roman sculptures done typically within the period from 500BC to 200AD 4 . Standing statues were an important part of classical era sculpture, which was also composed of reliefs and bas-reliefs. Unlike Roman sculpture which often focused less on details, the Greeks often focused heavily on perfection. Most of the Greek portraiture is also studied from Roman copies due to the destruction and loss of the original bronze models. 

The classical period of sculptural art succeeds the archaic period in which the oldest known structures were classified. There are a number of distinct differences between the sculptures of the two periods. The first is in the introduction of the contrapposto style in the classical period. Contraposto generally refers to the unequal distribution of one’s weight so that it is mainly supported by one foot 5 . This is especially evident in the Doryphoros whereby the right leg muscles are tense and prominent while those of the left leg are seemingly relaxed. Moreover, the pelvic position depicts more pressure on the right side. The same effect is achieved on the shoulders, whereby the right shoulder is slightly less tense compared to the left on which was supposed to be the spear. The left hand muscles are also contracted, especially the biceps, compared to the right hand. This contrast in muscle tension was first articulated in the classical period. 

Secondly, the classical period was also characterized by the increased knowledge of human anatomy. This knowledge led to the discovery of the relationship between various parts and the impact on the normal functionality. The human body was therefore viewed as a physical marvel, which explains the tendency of sculptors to create nude sculptures. There was thus a new understanding in the dimensions and symmetry of various parts of the body when in different postures 6 . This portrait thus accounts for the changes in the human body shape with movement. These dynamics which kept the human body in balance at all times were an invaluable source of inspiration to the sculptors of this era. Indeed the creation of the Doryphoros was inspired by a treatise which Polycleitos wrote, named Kanon, which focuses on calculations of dimensions of the human physique. 

Third, the classical period introduced a new level of realism that was previously nonexistent. The sculptures of the archaic period were often static in nature and often depicted still poses. They lacked an element of life that is easily perceivable in classical period art. One of the most iconic sculptures from the archaic period is the Kouros (see Image 2 in Appendix), which depicts a male standing straight in attention. The Kouros Anavissos was less detailed and contained only the basic human features from an upright stance, unlike the articulation of muscles and other body curves in the Doryphoros 7 . Evidently, art from this period is significantly less natural compared to that of the classical period. 

The classical era brought with it, increased knowledge as is depicted the Greek philosophy and way of life. Sculptural art from the archaic period often included smiles on the faces on both humans and animals which contributed to their absurd and unrealistic nature. Subsequently, the lack of facial emotion in most sculptural work in the classical period, including the Doryphoros, stemmed from the introduction of emotional control in Greek philosophy. Greek philosophy forms the basis of all logical thinking, and at the time, it was becoming increasingly possible to explain the nature of life through scientific thought as compared to mere belief. Sculptures during this period, and progressively into the Hellenistic period depict a shift in thinking patterns from religion to science whereby the glory that was previously attributed to gods is slowly being bestowed to human beings and earthly forms. Increased knowledge and understanding of processes and states of things cemented the belief of Greeks in a causal-effect relationship between different components of life, thereby making it possible to consider the impact of various factors as depicted into the detail in the Doryphoros 8 . Notably, the level of detail increased exponentially in the Hellenistic period. 

Classical period sculpture had a tremendous impact on subsequent forms of art. Sculptures such as the Doryphoros carried sufficient quality to inspire the Romans to make copies. They were also durable and survived long enough to allow parts to be excavated and reassembled centuries after they were first created 9 . The greatest effect of Classical period sculpture was in the introduction of realism, creating the possibility of real life depiction of artistic ideas. The impact would even have been more profound, had it not been interrupted and watered down by the fall of the Western Roman Empire whereby most of the art was either stolen and kept by private individuals or destroyed in wars. However, the Italian Renaissance in the 17 th century led to a rediscovery of classic art, which influenced the work of sculptors such as Donatello and Michelangelo whose works are considered to be some of the best to date. Though there were different forms of art that arose post-renaissance, key elements of the classical tradition can still be traced in different forms of modern classicism. 

Appendix 

Figure 1: Doryphoros 10 

Figure 2: Kouros Anavissos . 11 

Bibliography Top of Form 

Del Chiaro, Mario A., and Andrew F. Stewart.  Classical Art: sculpture . Santa Barbara, Calif: Santa Barbara Museum of Art. 1984. Top of Form 

Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, and Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  Arts: A publication for Members of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts . Minneapolis: The Society. 1977. Top of FormTop of Form 

Moon, Warren G.  Polykleitos, the Doryphoros, and tradition . Madison (Wis.): University of Wisconsin Press. 1995. 

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1 Mario A. Del Chiaro and Andrew F. Stewart.  Classical art: sculpture . (Santa Barbara, Calif: Santa Barbara Museum of Art. 1984), 48 

2 Moon, Warren G.  Polykleitos, the Doryphoros, and tradition . (Madison (Wis.): University of Wisconsin Press, 1995.), 90 

3 Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, and Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  Arts: a publication for members of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts . (Minneapolis: The Society. 1977.) 49 

4 Mario A. Del Chiaro and Andrew F. Stewart.  Classical art: sculpture . (Santa Barbara, Calif: Santa Barbara Museum of Art. 1984) , 59 

5 Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, and Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  Arts: a publication for members of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts . (Minneapolis: The Society, 1977), 50 

6 Mario A. Del Chiaro and Andrew F. Stewart.  Classical art: sculpture . (Santa Barbara, Calif: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1984), 71 

7 Moon, Warren G.  Polykleitos, the Doryphoros, and tradition . (Madison (Wis.): University of Wisconsin Press, 1995.), 80 

8 Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, and Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  Arts: a publication for members of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts . (Minneapolis: The Society, 1977), 51 

9 Moon, Warren G.  Polykleitos, the Doryphoros, and tradition . (Madison (Wis.): University of Wisconsin Press, 1995), 79 

10 Obtained from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doryphoros#/media/File:Doryphoros_MAN_Napoli_Inv6011-2.jpg 

11 Obtaned from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_sculpture#/media/File:Kouros_anavissos.jpg