Doryphoros

The Doryphoros, or Spear-Bearer, is a standing male figure associated with the Greek sculptor Polykleitos and his study of ideal bodily proportion in the fifth century BC. The original bronze is lost, but Roman marble copies preserve its characteristic pose. Weight rests on one leg while the other relaxes, and active and resting limbs balance across the body. This arrangement creates a controlled sense of potential movement rather than rigid symmetry. The statue is closely connected with Polykleitos's Canon, his account of harmonious relationships between parts. Comparing surviving copies also reveals how Roman workshops translated a bronze design into marble.