Greek
Discobolos
Description:
Roman copy of a statue by Myron. About 450 B.C. The head, which is restored, is wrongly attached; in the original it was turned toward the hand which holds the disk (cf. No. 561). Found in Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli, and now in the British Museum.
Restorations: The head, both hands, a piece under the right arm, the right knee, a small piece in the right leg, parts of the toes, part of the disk.
A full scale statue of Discobolos, a 19th century plaster cast made from a copy of the Greek bronze original which is housed in the British Museum.
Met. Cast 560
Period of Original: Greek & Roman
Origin of Original: Rome, Italy
Location of the Cast: 20 W. 44 St. New York, NY USA
Provenance: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Condition: The cast has been completely restored.
Additional Information:
Article
Ann Sulzberger, The Institute for Classical Architecture and Art
Discobolos
Plaster cast 020.010.010 was taken from a Roman marble copy of the original Greek bronze statue Discobolos, created by the sculptor Myron in 450 BC. Considered to be the first sculptor to master the style of rhythm, harmony, symmetry, and balance, Myron made the actions of the human body in motion his chief study. Rather than realistically portraying a traditional discus-throwing pose, Myron dramatically twisted the figure of the Discobolos into dynamic counterbalance in order to emphasize the ideal build of an athlete. Discus-throwing was the first event in a Greek pentathlon and the participating athletes were particularly admired for their physical appearance as all sets of muscles were equally developed. This resulted in harmonious physical proportion.
The Roman reproductions of Discobolos were among the first admired copies of previous works, which eventually eclipsed the fame of the original Greek works. None of Myron’s statues has been found, but numerous Roman copies of the Discobolos can be seen at the British Museum, Museo Nazionale Romano, and the Vatican. All but one of these copies, however, has been incorrectly restored. The Roman replica at the Museo Nazionale Romano shows the statue in the correct posture: with the head turned towards the discus. Cast 020.010.010 was most likely cast from the Roman copy found at Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli, and now on display at the British Museum.
Long considered one of the masterpieces of Greek sculpture, the popularity of Discobolos from Graeco-Roman times to today can be ascribed to Myron’s depiction of the physical ideal. In 1938 Adolf Hitler acquired one of the Roman marble copies, as he regarded the Discobolos as the paradigm of Arian athleticism. The statue was housed at the Glypotheik in Munich until it was returned to Italy in 1948 and finally placed back on display in 1953.