The athlete represented in this bronze statuette is prepared to throw the discus he holds above his head. He places one foot ahead of the other and starts to shift his weight forward; at the same time, he twists his upper body and reaches back with his left arm. The artist has depicted the movement with such understanding that we can feel its energy and anticipate its consequences. The athlete is about to swing the discus forward, transfer it to his right hand, and release it.

The discus-thrower’s training shows in his superb anatomy and the artist’s ability to describe it. Look at the connection between his powerful chest and well-developed shoulders; his left arm bulges with working muscle. His face suggests that he is no creature of mere physical strength but a man conscious of his actions. His drilled eyes suggest intense concentration, and the high position of his ears seems to extend the tension of the muscles in his neck.

Athletes made various kinds of offerings to the gods—sometimes their equipment, sometimes a work of art. This piece was probably dedicated by a discus thrower to celebrate a victory.

The standard athletic uniform in ancient Greece was nudity, and the shining bronze of this figure in his original state would have resembled suntanned skin, rubbed with oil and glistening. Alone among ancient peoples, the Greeks glorified the physical aspects of being human. The great tradition of the nude in Western art derives from this Greek pride in the beauty of the body.