Figurine of a discobolos (discus thrower)
Figurine of a discobolos (discus thrower)
Date5th century BCE
Mediumbronze
Dimensionsobject: 6 x 3 7/8 x 1 5/8 in. (15.2 x 9.8 x 4.1 cm)
base: 2 x 2 1/8 x 2 in. (5.1 x 5.4 x 5.1 cm)
ClassificationSCULPTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Wright S. Ludington
Object number1981.64.17
Subject(s)
- men
- boys
- nudes
Collection
- Antiquity
Sub-Collection(s)
- Mediterranean
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThe Etruscans lived in Italy and were contemporaries of the Greeks who colonized parts of the Southern Italian coastline, allowing for interaction and trade between the two cultures. This small representation of a discus thrower is reminiscent of Archaic Greek sculpture with its stylized hair and rounded proportions; it also recalls the Greek fascination with the nude male athletic body. In the Classical period, the Discobolos of the ancient sculptor Myron would become a famous Greek version of the same theme, spurring the production of numerous later copies.