Jared Polivka

Professor Burleson

Humanities 1301

8 August 2021

Doryphoros by Polykleitos

Polykleitos was a sculptor during the high classical period and is said to have been one of

the most important sculptors of the classical antiquity. Polykleitos is best known for his sculpture

Doryphoros, which can also be known as “spear bearer” since the sculpture was originally

balancing a spear on his left shoulder. Doryphoros represents a warrior poised for battle with a

muscular athletic body posing nude. (College of arts and science, n.d.)

The original Doryphoros was sculpted by Polykleitos around 440 BCE to fit his canon

but did not survive to today or has not yet been found. Polykleitos created the statue of

Doryphoros using distinct mathematical proportions and balance in order to capture the ideal

proportions of the human figure; Polykleitos believed that beauty is directly related to

proportions. Since the original statue has been lost, no one is sure what the exact measurements

or proportions of Polykleitos’ rule were, but it is suspected that the length of the fingers were

used as the base for the measurements of the whole body. (Coleman, n.d.) Even though a lot of

the measurements were lost with the original statue we do know that the statue stood at around

six feet and eleven inches tall and his head to body ratio was most likely around one to seven.

Polykleitos sculpted Doryphoros standing in what was called the contrapposto stance.

This stance shows what the human body looks like when all weight is distributed onto one leg,

with one hip dropped and the other raised. The shoulder on the side with the raised hip is

lowered and the arm hangs limp while the other arm is flexed. (Coleman, n.d.)
Jared Polivka

Professor Burleson

Humanities 1301

8 August 2021
Polykleitos sculpted Doryphoros to have his head and pelvis rotating in order to

showcase his body and lifelike prominent veins. (World History, 28, July 2015) The veins on

Doryphoros helped make the statue look even more realistic by setting the illusion that blood

was pumping through him. (Harris/Zucker, 9, Feb 2013) The contrapposto stance that

Polykleitos uses in his sculpture also helps to bring Doryphoros to life, as it makes him seem as

if he is in motion. (Coleman n.d.) The face of Doryphoros is emotionless and generic, meant to

capture the image of the idealized or perfect Greek citizen.

The statue of Doryphoros was originally sculpted out of bronze like many other Greek

sculptures from its time period. The bronze used to create this sculpture made it look a life like

nude that seemed like a glimmering suntan when the bronze was new. There were also other

metals used in the creation of Doryphoros such as tin and copper. These other metals used in the

creation of this sculpture were most likely used to create features such as the eyes and hair to

bring different colors into the sculpture and make him seem alive. (College of arts and science,

n.d.)

The fact that bronze can be melted down and reused made it to where many of these

bronze sculptures were destroyed and turned into weapons. We today see very few original

bronze sculptures from the high classical period left and have to resort to looking at roman

copies. (Annenberg Leaner, 26, sept, 2019)

Greek art and sculptures became very popular among Romans when Roman generals

started to take over Greek cities and brought back the Greek’s creations and artwork. The
Jared Polivka

Professor Burleson

Humanities 1301

8 August 2021
Romans were so impressed with the statues that they had to set up studios to meet the demand

for copies of the Greek sculptures. The Romans began to make marble copies of the Greek

sculptures because they believed that Greek culture symbolized a desirable way of life.

Doryphoros was one of the most popular copies of Greek artwork and was one of the most

sought-after sculptures by the Romans. (Annenberg Learner, 26, sept, 2019)

The original Sculpture of Doryphoros that was created around 440 BCE by Polykleitos

was holding a spear in his left hand which rested on his shoulder. This spear which gained

Doryphoros the title as the “spear bearer” or “spear carrier” also played a role as the support for

the statue. (Harris/Zucker, 9, Feb 2013) When the Romans copied the statue of Doryphoros they

did not include the spear in the sculpture but rather resorted to using items such as tree trunks in

order to support the weight of the sculpture. This is why when we see a Doryphoros today he is

not holding a spear for support but rather has added supports to keep the sculpture from falling or

breaking.

Any of the sculptures we see of Doryphoros today are marble copies of the original

bronze Greek statue by Polykleitos. The most popular copy of the statue of Doryphoros currently

is a marble Roman copy of the Greek original that can be found in the Naples museum. This

statue of Doryphoros is thought to have been found mostly intact in the provincial Roman city of

Pompeii dating back to around 120-50 BCE. (Harris/Zucker, 9, Feb 2013)

One sculpture we see Doryphoros being compared to a lot is the sculpture of Kritios boy;

He just like Doryphoros was created to show the ideal male athletic body. Kritios was sculpted
Jared Polivka

Professor Burleson

Humanities 1301

8 August 2021
around 480 BCE in the contrapposto position, with his right hip dropped and all of his weight

shifted onto his left leg. When we look at these two statues, Doryphoros and Kritios boy, next to

each other we can see the improvement in detail from 480 BCE to 440 BCE, as we see the

strands of hair and veins on Doryphoros but only the larger details on Kritios.

Doryphoros stands as an example of the advancing understanding of the human body.

Even though the body of Doryphoros was practically impossible for a human to accomplish

because of his size at nearly seven feet tall, he was still part of Polykleitos’ canon or rule for

proportions of a human sculpture. All of Doryphoros’ proportions illustrate the theories that

Polykleitos had about the symmetry between the parts of the human body. (College of arts and

science, n.d.)

Polykleitos has been known as the best sculptor of the male body because of his

sculptures of idealized male Greek warriors and athletes, so it makes sense that one of his most

popular pieces would show the propelling comprehension of the human body.

Doryphoros helped show society what full human potential looked like, by representing

the perfect Greek citizen and warrior. The sculpture also has for quite some time been viewed as

an exemplum of male beauty because of his strong build and muscular physique.

Looking at Doryphoros and all of his detail we can see the understanding of the body

through his veins, hair, and even pose that makes it seem like he is walking or in motion. The

detail put into Doryphoros makes him one of the most remembered sculptures from the high

classical period and has set a standard for many pieces of art throughout time.
Jared Polivka

Professor Burleson

Humanities 1301

8 August 2021

Bibliography

“Art: Doryphoros (CANON).” Annenberg Learner, 26 Sept. 2019, www.learner.org/series/art-

through-time-a-global-view/the-body/doryphoros-canon/.
Jared Polivka

Professor Burleson

Humanities 1301

8 August 2021
Coleman, By: Sally Whitman, and Sally Whitman Coleman. “The Doryphoros: He's Kind of a
Big Deal: The Art Minute.” The Art Minute | Short Lessons in Art History.®, 9 Feb. 2013,
www.the-art-minute.com/the-doryphoros-hes-kind-of-a-big-deal/.

“Doryphoros.” Doryphoros | Museum of Art and Archaeology,

maa.missouri.edu/gallery/Doryphoros.

Harris, Beth, and Steven Zucker. “Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer), Polykleitos (Article).” Khan
Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-
mediterranean-ap/greece-etruria-rome/a/polykleitos-doryphoros-spear-bearer.

“The ROMAN-NESS of Greek Art and The Greek-Ness of Roman Art.” World History,
www.worldhistory.biz/ancient-history/64536-caroline-vout.html.