CONTRAPPOSTO

Contrapposto: translation

   Italian term for a technique developed by ancient Greek sculptors to represent the human figure standing at ease in a relaxed and natural stance. It was based on an intentional assymetry of stance, with one leg carrying most of the body's weight and the other leg free. Although based on depiction of the body at rest, the technique was also fundamental to realistic representation of the body in motion. This technique first appeared in early Greek classical sculpture (early fifth century B.C.) and was widely used throughout the classical period but fell out of use in medieval sculpture. Its rediscovery in the early 15th century is attributed to the Florentine sculptor Donatello. At least, it first appears in his work, notably his bronze David, executed about 1425, which is reminiscent of classical statuary in its contrapposto stance. In painting, the use of contrapposto first appears in the work of Masaccio, most strikingly in The Tribute Money (ca. 1427) but also in the nude figures of Adam and Eve in his Expulsion from Paradise.

Contrapposto: translation

   The posing of figures in sculpture and painting that imitates the natural human stance. When the human body stands in a relaxed pose, one leg bears its weight (the engaged leg) while the other remains free. In this position, the hips and shoulders form opposing diagonals. Contrapposto was developed by Greek sculptors and painters of the classical era and constituted a major breakthrough as it allowed for the naturalistic rendering of the human form. It also allowed for the representation of the body in motion. In the 15th century, contrapposto was reintroduced into art to recreate the freedom of movement found in Greco-Roman examples. Donatello used it first in his St. Mark at Orsanmichele, Florence (1411-1413), and Masaccio in his Tribute Money in the Brancacci Chapel at Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence (c. 1425). The contrapposto technique was pushed to its limits in the 16th and 17th centuries when artists, eager to show off their artistic skill, used it to convey human experience and emotions.