Which ancient Greek sculptor created the statue 'Doryphoros' (Spear Bearer)?

Polykleitos created Doryphoros, the Greek sculpture known as the Spear Bearer. The original was a bronze statue made around 440 BC, but it is now lost and known primarily through later Roman marble copies.

Polykleitos designed the figure as a demonstration of his Canon, a set of ideas about ideal human proportions and harmonious measurement. The muscular nude warrior stands in contrapposto, shifting weight onto one leg while the rest of the body responds naturally. This balance between tension and relaxation became a defining feature of Classical Greek sculpture.

The statue’s original spear is no longer present in most surviving versions, which can make the title seem puzzling. Doryphoros is also sometimes confused with works by Myron, Praxiteles, or Phidias, all major Greek sculptors, but the Spear Bearer is specifically associated with Polykleitos. The best-known surviving versions differ in details because they are Roman adaptations rather than the lost bronze original.