Male Torso

The head of this fragmentary statue is missing, as are both hands and both legs below the knees. Part of a support tree is preserved along the right thigh; the strut between the hip and left wrist is also fragmentary. Based on the well-known Doryphoros (Spear Bearer) created by the Greek sculptor Polykleitos around 440 B.C., this Roman adaptation probably decorated a residence. In the first and second centuries A.D., the Romans had a special interest in the work of Polykleitos, and created both exact replicas of his work and variants in his style. The pose and proportions of the original bronze statue were easily adapted, as seen here, to suit Roman statuary. Although the original Doryphoros depicted an athlete, this version could very well represent a mythological figure.