This life-size hollow bronze figure of a naked Greek youth is extremely rare. Thousands of large bronze statues once stood in cities throughout the ancient Greek world, but they were later melted down to make other metal objects and artworks. This bronze figure escaped being melted because it sank underwater off the northeast coast of Italy, probably when the ship carrying it was wrecked by a storm. Almost 2,000 years later, the statue was found by fishermen dragging a net along the Mediterranean seabed. It was badly corroded (damaged by water) and sea creatures had been living on and in it. Luckily, barnacles created a protective layer that helped preserve the bronze. Early efforts to clean the surface left some scratches, but eventually the barnacles were carefully removed and the bronze was stabilized. 

The statue was made in the Hellenistic period, which followed the death of Alexander the Great. Greek (Hellenic) art and culture spread widely under Alexander’s successors. Someone likely broke the youth off his statue base between the first centuries BCE and CE, when wealthy Romans were especially eager to own original Greek art. The statue’s feet are missing and may have been left behind when he was wrenched off his base. Without the base to tell us his name or the reason he was being honored, we must make educated guesses about him. The olive wreath on his head was a prize of honor at the Olympic Games, suggesting that he was a victor at Olympia, where the games were held. While a public nude statue of an athlete would be startling today, it was common for participants in ancient Greek sports to compete naked. In artworks, male nudity symbolized physical and moral excellence. 

The youth’s right hand is raised toward the wreath, and scholars theorize that he was about to take it off to dedicate it to Zeus, patron god of the Games. The young man’s empty left hand likely held a palm frond, another symbol of victory. Statues of victors stood in the god’s sanctuary at Olympia or in winning athletes’ hometowns, but we cannot know where he stood. His face and toned body seem idealized, common in art showing heroic figures, but the artist has included individual features that may reflect his real appearance, like his long nose and the dimple in his chin. 

The Victorious Youth’s head, arms, and torso with legs were cast separately in molds and then joined. If his lost feet were still attached, he would stand about five-and-a-half feet tall, an average height for a man at the time. He faces forward in a contrapposto (asymmetrically balanced) pose. His left knee is bent so that his right leg takes most of his weight, and his torso forms a gentle curve to the left to compensate. This stance makes a standing figure look more natural and dynamic than one with both feet flat on the ground, legs straight. The Greeks began to perfect the pose in the fifth century BCE, and it survived across time. Michelangelo’s famous over-life-sized sculpture of David (1504 CE) was influenced by such standing statues from antiquity, and that in turn inspired other artists to experiment with contrapposto. 

During its time under water, the statue developed bronze disease which must be carefully monitored by conservators. The statue’s environment in the museum is designed to limit its exposure to moisture. Humidity and even human breath can cause further damage. The figure’s original shiny tan skin now appears mottled brown and green. Just as white marble statues were often painted with pigments to look more lifelike, parts of bronze figures were also inlaid or coated with alloys (metal mixtures) and other materials to create different colors. This athlete’s nipples were inset with a copper alloy to make their color stand out. His wreath may have been gilded (covered with gold). His eyes, lost in the sea, would have been crafted separately of materials such as stone, glass, or ivory and inserted from inside the head before it was attached. The eyes were often extremely detailed, showing tear ducts and eyelashes as well as the pupil, iris, and white of the eye. The original Victorious Youth would have looked very lifelike.