Discobolus

The original bronze masterpiece was created by the Athenian sculptor Myron around 460–450 BC. Myron was highly celebrated during the Classical period for his ability to capture dynamic movement in static bronze.

The most famous intact version, known as the Lancellotti Discobolus, was found in 1781 and is currently displayed at the National Roman Museum in Rome. Another notable, heavily restored version is housed in the British Museum in London.

The statue is famous for perfectly capturing the rhythmos, or the brief frozen moment of tension right before the discus is released. It marked a major breakthrough in ancient Greek art because it solved the problem of conveying high-speed athletic motion in a balanced, stationary sculpture.

No, the original Greek bronze statue by Myron was lost to history. Every Discobolus on display today is actually a later Roman marble copy of the Greek original, as Romans frequently copied famous Greek works to decorate their villas.