Torso of Dionysos or Apollo is a freestanding marble sculpture depicting a nude male god and is currently on display at the Ackland Art Museum. An unidentified artist sculpted the work during the Roman Imperial period in the 2nd century CE, evoking a 4th century BCE Greek style. True to its name, Torso of Dionysos or Apollo is only a fragment of the original sculpture that depicted either Dionysos or Apollo. However, the work lacks enough distinguishing characteristics to accurately determine which of these gods the artwork represents. Only the sculpture’s torso remains, with the body being severed below the biceps and at mid-thigh. The head has also been severed from the body, but there are still tresses of curling hair that fall on the shoulders.
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Despite only a portion of the work remaining, it is evident that Apollo or Dionysus was depicted with a lean body type as evidenced by the slimness of the figure, coupled with its flat stomach. There is the presence of v-shaped lines at the intersection of the abdomen and the beginning of the thigh, marking a clear division of the torso and pelvis. The appearance of v-shaped lines is present whenever a man has low body fat and muscular definition, and those of the sculpture are deeply accentuated. There is an athletic appearance to the torso; however, its athleticism is depicted as toned as opposed to bulky. For instance, while there is some muscular definition in the figure’s abdomen, there is not a noticeable prominence of the abdominal region. Thus, while the physique of Torso of Dionysos or Apollo is blatantly one of a youth man, one striking aspect is that of the shoulders, which appears more feminine than masculine. This feminine quality is a result of the slenderness of the curve of the shoulder, especially around the bicep. Yet, instead of this feminine feature detracting from the work, it instead humanizes the god by softening their visual representation. Moreover, the physical strength of the figure’s body could be taken as an embodiment of spiritual
Despite only a portion of the work remaining, it is evident that Apollo or Dionysus was depicted with a lean body type as evidenced by the slimness of the figure, coupled with its flat stomach. There is the presence of v-shaped lines at the intersection of the abdomen and the beginning of the thigh, marking a clear division of the torso and pelvis. The appearance of v-shaped lines is present whenever a man has low body fat and muscular definition, and those of the sculpture are deeply accentuated. There is an athletic appearance to the torso; however, its athleticism is depicted as toned as opposed to bulky. For instance, while there is some muscular definition in the figure’s abdomen, there is not a noticeable prominence of the abdominal region. Thus, while the physique of Torso of Dionysos or Apollo is blatantly one of a youth man, one striking aspect is that of the shoulders, which appears more feminine than masculine. This feminine quality is a result of the slenderness of the curve of the shoulder, especially around the bicep. Yet, instead of this feminine feature detracting from the work, it instead humanizes the god by softening their visual representation. Moreover, the physical strength of the figure’s body could be taken as an embodiment of spiritual