About this work
This torso was acquired in honour of the late Professor Trendall, who contributed his expertise to the development of the NGV’s Classical vase collection. The torso is Roman but is thought to be a copy of an ancient Greek work by the famous fifth-century BCE sculptor Polykleitos. The position of the left arm and head relate it to a type of statue known as the Diskophorus, or discus-holder, of which several versions exist, although all are fragmentary. The body is tensely muscular and the general style is of the later fifth century, a period much favoured by Roman copyists.