Analysis and Comparison Between the Doryphoros and the Augustus of Primaporta - Essay Example

The statue exhibits a direct balance of these attributes between its right and left sides: the right planted and firm; the left bent in motion, lagging behind as it moves forward implicitly offering a further balance between "good" (the right, or dexterous, side) and evil (the left, or sinister, side). Polyclitus's attempt to harmonize these features came about as the culmination of Hellenistic sculpture, for not only had the goal become to portray man as naturally (the kallos, or "beautiful) as possible, but also to capture the ideal physicality of man (the EU, or "perfect").

The Augustus of Primaporta statue models itself on the Doryphoros for that exact reason, with few exceptions: Augustus is clothed, his right arm raised and extended, and the weight of this is counterbalanced by a small cupid riding a dolphin attached to the back of the right leg. Roman sculptures during this period continued the practice of portraying their subjects as naturally as possible, however, statues of emperors are always idealized. Augustus is always depicted in his prime - despite his living into the sixties - and this statue in particular is modeled upon Polyclitus's work as it had been recognized as the most accurate depiction of the ideal form of man.

Polyclitus's work takes on the subject of man's form - not the reality, but the ideal. As such, its image springs from the fountainhead of the artist's imagination and presumably bears no resemblance to any single individual. In contrast, the Augustus statue is most definitely intended to be modeled from and to represent Augustus Caesar. Yet the duplication is intentional, for the sculptures are meant to capture the inner character (ethos) of the subjects rather than an emotional state (pathos).

Both bear almost identical controlled calm expressions with sharply defined air brow and nose. The statue of Augustus is meant to portray its subject as the ideal man of his time; small wonder that it should model itself upon the ideal male figure of the Greeks. Greek statues were used for three main purposes: to portray deities (which represented ideals themselves), to represent the dead as grave monuments, or to cater to commissions for architectural or temple projects. Mythological representations represented mental ideals and natural subjects captured athletic ideals; Greek sculptures were never intended to portray reality.

The Augustus of Primaporta was meant to portray the perfection of Augustus. The arm raised in oratorical fashion was a pre-requisite skill for any Roman politician; the cuirass (breastplate) indicates the subject's military command. The cupid is in direct reference to Augustus' claim to trace his lineage back to Aeneas, while the scene on the cuirass indicates both Rome's political dominance and divine preference. Thus Augustus portrays himself as strictly adhering to Roman values and traditions to solidify his position in popular opinion. The Doryphoros attempts to capture a particular essence of humans. The Augustus of Primaporta, conversely, has a political agenda.