Photo and description of "Dorifor" Polikleta

When you look at the "Dorifor" of Poliklet, a person who lives in our century and is not experienced in matters of art will not immediately understand why this sculpture is considered so valuable. However, contemporaries of the ancient Greek master could very quickly determine the differences of the statue from other works of that period. The sculpture "Dorifor" Polikleta was distinguished by a special setting of the body, it was one of the first works in ancient Greece, the character of which seemed alive, ready to get off the pedestal by a man. Back in those distant times the statue was considered the standard of classical art, an example of mathematically verified proportions that could breathe life into bronze.

Poliklet the Elder

The sculptor who created the statue, which will be discussed in the article, lived at the end of the 5th century BC (presumably 480-420 BC). The exact birthplace of Polycleth remains unknown. According to ancient Greek authors, it could be Argos or Sikion, the cities that were the centers of artistic culture of the time. His skill Polyclett earned under the sculptor Agelar. Together with him, studied and another well-known ancient Greek artist, Myron.

Creativity Polyclett differs relentless search for the ideal. Creating sculptures, he sought to achieve perfection in the transfer of posture, facial expression. His characters are far from vanity, they are calm and wise. Harmony was peculiar not only to the figure, but also to the inner content of the image.

Favorite heroes

Before and after the creation of "Dorifor" Polyclett was interested in the image of athletes. And it's not surprising: who, if not the stately Olympic winners, could demonstrate all the beauty of a developed male body. However, most often Polyclett portrayed athletes not in the process of competition, but after the victory. At that moment, excess tension left the body, but there were no signs of fatigue. The body became relaxed and collected at the same time - the same harmony that the ancient Greek sculptor loved and knew how to feel.

Sculptures

There are no original statues of the author. Many works remained only in the form of descriptions of contemporaries, some of them came to us thanks to Roman copies. Thus, the love of the sculptors of the sacred empire for the repetition of ancient Greek works allowed the art historians of our time to see one of the earliest works of Polyclute. The master captured the winner of the Olympic Games at the moment when he capped his head. But we only know about the statues of Pifocles and Ariston, as well as of Hercules and Hermes, thanks to written sources.

A little later, the creation of these works Poliklet, - "Dorifor" was already ready at that time, - moved to Athens. Here he creates the "Wounded Amazon". This sculpture reached us in the form of a Roman copy. In style, it practically does not differ from Poliflet's Dorifor. The setting of the hull, the drawing of a strong muscular body, the felt inner strength - all this brings two statues together.

At the end of life

In Athens, Polyclett was also engaged in portrait sculpture. At that time, this kind of art was not widely spread. Poliklet, judging by the reports and reviews that came down to us, perfectly knew his business. The sources have preserved information, according to which the master worked on the portrait of Artemann, the engineer himself Pericles.

The statues of the last few years reflected the author's new search. One of such works is "Diadumen" (about 430 BC). The statue depicts an Olympic winner, with a beautiful gesture tied a ribbon over his head. In his figure and expression of his face, there is much less peace of mind than in the previous works of the master.

"Poliflet's Dorifor": description

However, the most famous work of the sculptor is "Dorifor". The sculpture depicts a spearman who just won the competition. The original, which did not reach us, dates back to 460-450. BC. E. Today we can judge today's work thanks to several preserved copies.

The elusive movement and setting of the body - that's what stands out the statue that Polyclett created. Dorifor spearman stands leaning on one leg, the second only supports the figure - he is about to make a step. The right hand of the young man is lowered, in the left he holds a spear. It is easy to see that part of the body is at rest, and the other is tense. This combination looks so natural that the spearman seems alive. The statue favorably differed from the static images, characteristic for the previous period in art.

Canon

At the heart of the construction of the body of Dorifor Polyclon lay the exact mathematical calculation and the positions of Pythagoreanism. The male body depicted by the master was repeatedly copied by his followers and was called the "canon of Polyclute." Also referred to as the sculptor's treatise, which laid out the basics of Pythagoras' teaching and the mathematical calculation of proportions. The work of the sculptor has not reached us, today scientists can judge him only according to the records of the author's contemporaries.

The basis of the composition is the cross-sectional non-uniformity of the body's movement. To the right, the lowered arm and the supporting leg are static, but tense. On the left, the corresponding parts of the body are relaxed, but are in motion. With the help of such an opposition Policlet managed to convey the inner calmness of the hero and the simultaneous readiness for any tests.

Golden Section

When the statue "Dorifor" was created, Poliklet also applied another principle of Pythagoreanism. All proportions of the body are constructed according to the rule of the golden section. In short, it can be formulated as follows: the length of the whole object or body so refers to the greater part, as the latter to the smaller. The height of the statue refers to the distance from the pedestal to the navel spear, as the latter to the distance from the navel to the top of the head.

All proportions of the sculpture are subject to certain calculations. It is the ideal relationship of parts of the body that allows you to create a stately warrior, rather than an elongated or stocky figure, and tried to repeat the numerous students of the master, copying the "Dorifor". Here are some of these proportions:

• The distance from the crown to the chin is 7 times less than the height of the spearman;

• From the eyes to the chin - at 16;

• Height of the face - at 10.

The rule of the golden section and the proportional relationship Policklet observed in all works. Refused by the master only if they began to contradict the natural parameters of the human body in a particular sculpture.

Counterpost

Poliklet was one of the first to use the method of counterpost, which later became classic. It expresses itself just in the cross tension in the hands and feet. Reception allows you to make the posture more natural, to transfer the motion embedded in it. Statues created with the use of a counterpoint, favorably differ from static sculptures of antiquity. They depict living people, but not frozen copies of deities.

Working on the sculptures, Poliklet watched the people. He noticed that always moving one part of the body causes a change in position and the other. He was not the first to see this feature, but he was the best at delivering it. Like some of his predecessors, he realized that to move the movement it is necessary to push forward the left leg and the right arm or the right leg and the left arm. This is the cross-position of parts of the body, which resulted in the principle of a counterpoint.

Unfortunately, we did not get the original of the statue that Polyclet created. "Dorifor", photos show it well, and in the surviving copies embodies the canon of the image of a stately male body. However, there is reason to believe that the original, lost in the centuries, looked even more harmonious. And yet, "Dorifor" to this day remains a model for imitation in art. The proportions of the body and the principle of the golden section used to create it are still considered ideal today. Nowadays, the sculpture of "Dorifor" can be considered a kind of educational material, not only for sculptors, but also for artists and other masters.