http://www.teacherweb.com/ON/CawthraPark/MsWilde/htmlpage4.stm

http://www.bartleby.com/65/po/Polyklei.html

Impressive! My first reaction is how 'perfect' the sculpture is. The sculptor clearly was a master of his craft. I am also impressed that we still have such artifacts, even though they were made over 2000 years ago. I like the informal, relaxed pose of the subject. The nudity does not surprise me, having seen many examples of such sculpture before, but the question does come to mind about the absence of a fig leaf. Under what conditions was total nudity acceptable and when did the fig leaf become the norm?

The figure is life size and very realistic. The proportions of the figure are excellent. However the hair is two dimensional. The facial expression is bland - calm and serene is apparently used to describe this, but expressionless is my choice of words. Reading a bit about this from a book called "Greek Art and Archaelogy" by John Pedley, I learn that the original was cast in bronze, and that what I am actually looking at is a Roman copy, made in marble, of the original. More than 50 Roman copies were made of the original.

First the model was created in wax, which would be relatively easy to work with. Then the model was covered in clay. This was then heated and the wax would melt away through holes in the clay made for that purpose. Bronze was then poured into the mold. When it had hardened, the clay was chipped away, leaving the solid bronze statue. Clever!

Polykleitos lived in what is called the High Classical period of Greek culture. The favored material for sculpture was bronze (only a few original examples remain). Doryphorus is Greek for "spear carrier". The spear would be held in the left hand, likely resting on his shoulder and with the end on the ground. Although the subject is not identified, many believe that it is supposed to represent Achilles. Four characteristics of Classical Greek sculpture are:

1. perfect bodily proportions
2. relaxed contrapposto pose
3. calm almost expressionless face
4. nude - reflection of Olympian ideal

So far I have learned that the original was cast in bronze and that I am looking at a Roman copy, made in marble. Second, I now understand the process of bronze casting known as the "lost-wax" method. Third, I have an appreciation of the era in which the original was created. Fourth, I now know the name of one of the Greek sculptors. Fifth, I know the meaning of the name Doryphorus.