A Famous Pose with a Complicated Background

How do you describe a work of art?

With art terms, of course! We’ve heard your questions about works of art at Getty, and we’re here to answer your Frequently Asked Art Questions (FAAQs).

Let’s take a look at Apollo Crowning Himself, an ideal work of art to describe with the art term, contrapposto.

Watch the video, or read on below!

You might have noticed that some statues at Getty look really cool and casual. There’s a reason for that: the pose.

It’s named “contrapposto,” which is Italian for “counterpoint.” While it takes major artistic skill to pull off, the pose itself is fairly simple.

How to Pose Contrapposto

Bend one arm up, then shift your weight so you’re resting on the opposite leg. The resulting pose is well balanced and puts a little curve in your torso, making it perfect for statue poses and snapshots.

Why Is Contrapposto Important?

Contrapposto was used by the ancient Greeks, starting in the fifth century BCE. The pose was innovative because it moved away from the stiff and static look of earlier sculptures.

In Apollo Crowning Himself, the contrapposto pose also marks an important moment in Greek mythology. As the story goes, the god Apollo was so besotted with the nymph Daphne, her father turned her into a laurel tree so she could escape his advances.

The wreath that Apollo is crowning himself with was made from that tree. In honor of this not-so-unproblematic mythological moment, laurel wreaths became symbols of victory in sporting events of ancient Greece.

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