Doryphoros Analysis

The sculpture Doryphoros or “Spear Bearer” was created by sculptor Polykleitos in the Early Classical Period around 450-440 B.C.E out of bronze but was later recreated out of marble material. The ancient Greeks thought the human body was perfect, not the body itself, but how the mathematical proportions of every part of the body were in perfect relationship to the others. Polykleitos set out to capture what would perfect ideal beauty be? The idea that you could create a perfect body based on math was part of a bigger set of beliefs for the Greeks. Greeks would perform athletics nude in celebration of the body and it’s physical abilities. Although many people might assume that this sculpture is about war because it is named “Spear-Bearer”,

We see a clear transition from stiff figures containing no motion to the Greek’s beginning to understand the body’s physiognomy. This is a classic example of Contrapposto. Doryphoros stands on his right foot leaving the left leg relaxed and the right leg the weight-bearing. The left arm would have been the weight-bearing of the bronze spear, similarly, leaving the right arm relaxed. This sets a counterbalance in the composition of the body.

In contrast, the Kouros figure has both feet firmly planted and if you were to draw a line connecting the ankles it would be horizontal to the ground. The Kouros figure is also symmetrical. Doryphoros, however, has the left ankle raised so you have a tilt in the axis of the knees as well as the hips. The axis of the hips is parallel to that of the knees. In Kouros, we can draw a perfect line right down the center of the body but Doryphoros that line creates an asymmetrical s-shape.

The right side of Doryphoros is compressed compared to his left because the left hip is hanging down over the relaxed leg, it’s not being supported. Polykleitos also shifts the head towards our left, once again, breaking the symmetry of the