Strike a Pose: Contrapposto

Each installment of our Strike a Pose series features one of art history’s most seminal postures. Mediums range from sculpture to oils and everything in between. You can find our article about Contrapposto at my.meural.com/editorial/15.

Contrapposto (meaning “counterpoise” in Italian) defines a pose in which the subject leans their body weight on one leg while the other freely moves about and sometimes bends at the knee. The pose allows the subject to move their hands and arms, organically simulating a relaxed demeanor.

For hundreds of years, artists have used the pose to encapsulate movement and give their painting or statue a sense of naturalism. Originating in Greek sculpture, contrapposto was revived by the Renaissance artists, helping to cement it in the canon of Western art history. Just as the human figure has remained a common subject in painting and sculpture, so too has contrapposto survived long histories of shifting art movements and trends.