The Discobolus And Michelangelos David - 1280 Words

The Discobolus, or â€Å"discus thrower† is one of the most iconic artworks of classical antiquity. Originally sculpted in bronze by an Athenian man called Myron (born in the fortress-city of Eleutherae in the 5th century BC), the statue’s many replications by the Romans illustrate its significance in helping spawn an enduring image and standard for physical idealism stretching beyond the culture that it originated from. The evolution of such ideal standards for the human body’s aesthetic are similarly conveyed in an equally significant achievement in classical sculpture, Michelangelos David. Both of these pieces capture their respective audiences’ ideas of exceptional beauty and shed light on their attitudes toward the appropriateness, and†¦show more content†¦The arc of the arms and shoulders prepared to launch the discus, and that of his abdomen bending to give strength to its motion are juxtaposed perfectly, so as to bring unshaken harmony to the thrower’s body, even in the middle of performing this physically taxing motion. As for the choice to depict the athlete as nude, this had to be expected for the era of the statue’s creation; ancient Greek society frequently employed the use of nudity in such depictions of physical activities, as a way of celebrating the potential of human body, as well as to serve as a model for younger (in this case, male) Greek citizens becoming men. Furthermore, it was common practice for Greek athletes to train in the nude, for less hindrance in the activity itself, but also so that your technique or muscle groups could be more finely critiqued and developed. In this way, Myron has captured the beauty of training the human body, and the potential for what commitment to honing one’s skills could bring. Such a standard to reach for provided a valuable motivation for young Greek men, and in tandem with the epics of Homer three centuries prior to the statue’s creation , the Discus Thrower served to inspire many generations of glory-hungry Greeks eager to meet the peak of their potential through conditioning. For all they knew, any one of them might be the next to be immortalized in marble. Just