Discophoros
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The Discophoros, also spelled Discophorus, meaning "Discus-Bearer" is one of the figure's in according to the Classical Greek sculptor Polyclitus. It's so known like the so called Doryphoros and Diadumenos. Designed as an example of the "canon" the sculptor developed in the hopes of increasing the realism of the sculpted form, it features a muscular, solidly-built athlete in ponderation. The marble copies that survive, all dating to the Roman era, feature the addition of a marble tree stump. The stump was needed to support the additional weight of marble, and the weaker nature of marble in sheer strength than the original bronze. In Roman marble copies they're a statue, where the athlete has the discus in the hand. As a rule the arms of the athlete are missing.
The Discobolus of Myron is not to be confused with the Discophoros of Polyclitus. It is an own figural type.
[edit] References
- Herbert Beck, Peter C. Bol, Maraike Bückling (Hrsg.): Polyklet. Der Bildhauer der griechischen Klassik. Ausstellung im Liebieghaus-Museum Alter Plastik Frankfurt am Main. Von Zabern, Mainz 1990 ISBN 3-8053-1175-3
- Detlev Kreikenbom: Bildwerke nach Polyklet. Kopienkritische Untersuchungen zu den männlichen statuarischen Typen nach polykletischen Vorbildern. "Diskophoros", Hermes, Doryphoros, Herakles, Diadumenos. Mann, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-7861-1623-7
