Discobolus: Greek Sculpture of an Athlete in Motion

Discobolus

Historical Context

This sculpture exemplifies the free style characteristic of the Classical Greek period. During this era, artists were greatly concerned with portraying balanced proportions of human anatomy, striving to achieve the ideal model of human beauty. To accomplish this, muscles are depicted in a more rounded and naturalistic manner, contrasting with the Praxitelean curve. Stiffness and frontality, typical of earlier periods, were abandoned in favor of a canon of mathematical proportion between the head and body. One piece, the Riace Warriors, could be the work of Alcamenes, a disciple of Polyclitus and Phidias. An old saying claims that this sculptor was the inventor of the "X" composition and the first to accurately represent veins and tendons in sculptures.

Formal Analysis

The basic principles of the Discobolus break with the frontality and stiffness characteristic of archaic sculpture. The artist's concern with depicting movement is successfully achieved through the complex position of the figure. Despite the violence expressed in the dynamic action, Myron's ability to balance the composition is evident. The arm holding the disc counterbalances the weight of the other arm, creating a series of lines in motion known as rhytmos. Another notable feature is the sculptor's anatomical work, faithfully rendering all the muscles involved in the tension of the athletic exercise, except for the head. It is worth noting that in the original bronze piece, maintaining the figure's balance without any support was a difficult feat.

Content and Meaning

Myron depicts a young athlete, possibly Hyacinth, who died in a game dedicated to the god Apollo. The sculpture captures the moment of maximum concentration just before the disc is thrown. Myron took a risk by representing the second moment of the action, when the athlete's balance is most precarious as he turns his body upon itself. At the time, athletes, alongside divinities, enjoyed great fame, and their bodies were taken as models of ideal beauty. In the case of Myron, he seized the opportunity to express his desire to represent violent movement in his sculptures.