Understanding Contrapposto

To better understand contrapposto, we can start by looking at an example that is not contrapposto.

Consider the illustration 1, a drawing of an ancient Greek Kouros sculpture that portrays a figure in a very symmetrical and rigid pose:

• The weight of the body is equally distributed between the two legs.
• The arms are straight and parallel along the sides of the body.
• The body can be divided in two symmetrical halves by a vertical line, referred to as the “line of the center of gravity.”
• The pelvis is not tilted, as we can see from the horizontal line.

A contrapposto pose can be seen in illustration 2, showing a later sculpture that represents the beginning of the Greek classical style.

The sense of life is expressed by the much more correct and realistic anatomy and by the relaxed, lifelike pose:

• The head, chest and pelvis are aligned along a slightly S-curved line running from the top of the head to the ground.
• The pelvis is tilted.
• One leg is engaged—it is straight and carries most of the weight of the body.
• The other leg is free—slightly bent and relaxed, carrying little weight.

During the Renaissance, the classical ideals of the Greeks were revived, and artists showed a renewed interest in the realistic depiction of the figure.

In illustration 3, we see how Michelangelo’s David demonstrates a methodical application of contrapposto:

• David’s head, torso, pelvis and legs are all aligned along an elegant S-curve.
• The pelvis is tilted.
• This elegant pose, along with the accurate anatomy, contributes to the sculpture’s powerful sense of life and psychological intensity.

To better appreciate how the forms of a contrapposto figure are organized, we can reduce the organic forms of the body to basic volumes.
Illustration 4 shows the basic volumes of David:

• The head is slightly tilted to the right and turned to a three-quarters view.
• The rib cage is tilted to the left.
• The pelvis is tilted to the right.
• One leg is straight and engaged; the other is free and slightly flexed.

Contrapposto is not limited to single figures. It can also be used in paintings such as the complex arrangement found in Raphael’s The Three Graces (see illustration 5):

• The head, torso and legs of all three figures are oriented at different angles, creating S-curves running down the length of each figure.
• The pelvic tilt is evident in all three figures.
• The feet alternate between engaged and free.
• The poses themselves alternate. The first S-curve is oriented opposite to the second. The second and third S-curves have the same orientation, but the poses are opposite in a different sense, as the figures are facing each other.