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Greek/Roman Art
Doryphoros And Augustus Of Primiaporta:
comparison/contrast
As a representative of the Argive School of southern ancient Greece, the Doryphoros (original created circa 450 to 440 B.C.E.), was once described by Aristotle as being much more than a statue, for it had "manifested sculpture itself and stands as the embodiment of proportional rationality" for all Greek sculpture of the period (Chase, 1987, 156). As an artist, Polykleitos worked according to a canon of proportions in which he formulated the principles that gave rise to unity in the human form in Greek sculpture. The statue itself is composed of a mighty body with thick, broad shoulders, a thick torso and very muscular limbs which overall reminds one of the Spartan ideal of the warrior physique. Technically, the Doryphoros stresses the principle of weight-shift, for what at first appears to be a casual and natural pose is in fact the result of "an extremely complex and subtle organization of the various parts" of the human male body (Chase, 1987, 157). Overall, Polykleitos has created a work of Greek art which combines realism and physical diversity in a unified design, something which was unheard of during the days of Polykleitos.
In contrast to the Doryphoros, the Augustus of Primaporte, circa 20 B.C.E., is an outstanding example of "the sedate, idealized manner now recognized as Augustan," a reference to the Roman emperor Augustus of the early Roman Empire period. Thus, this marble statue symbolizes Augustus "proclaiming a diplomatic victory to the citizens of Rome" (Kjellberg, 1968, 245).
Artistically, it is of the highest quality, much like the Doryphoros, and was probably executed by a Greek artist which explains why it is somewhat similar to the work of Polykleitos. As Kjellberg points out, this statue "is strongly idealized and was made according to Polykleitan proportions and is very reminiscent" of the Doryphoros, especially in the way that the body is proportioned (1968, 246). However, the Augustus of Primaporta symbolizes the opening years of the Golden Age of Roman history, known as "Augustan Peace" and demonstrates the artistic mastery of the period which would not have existed if it were not for Polykleitos and his Greek contemporaries some 400 years before the rise of the Roman Empire.
References
Chase, George M. (1987). Greek, Etruscan and Roman Art. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts.
Kjellberg, Ernst. (1968). Greek and Roman Art, 3000 B.C. To 550 a.D. New York: T.Y. Crowell Company.
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