Contrapposto

A natural standing pose in which the body's weight rests primarily on one leg, causing the hips and shoulders to tilt in opposite directions — giving a figure life, movement, and psychological presence.

Italian: "counterpose" Figure composition

Definition

Contrapposto (counter-POSE-to) describes the asymmetrical standing posture in which one leg bears the body's weight (the "engaged" leg) and the other is relaxed (the "free" leg). This causes the hip of the weight-bearing side to rise and the opposite shoulder to rise in compensation — creating a sinuous S-curve through the figure's axis.

Revived from classical Greek sculpture (notably the Doryphoros of Polykleitos) by Renaissance artists, contrapposto became the standard way to show a figure at rest without it appearing rigid. Leonardo used it throughout his figure paintings and studied the mechanics of weight distribution in his anatomical notebooks.

In Leonardo's Works

Vitruvian Man: The alternate poses (arms and legs spread vs. at rest) explore the geometry of the human figure in motion
The Last Supper: Each apostle's body is turned, twisted, and counterpoised — no two figures share the same axial orientation
Lady with an Ermine: The sitter's body turns in one direction while her gaze moves in another — a contrapposto of attention as well as body

Related Terms

Foreshortening

The perspective challenge that accompanies complex contrapposto poses when figures are viewed at oblique angles.

Disegno

The drawing discipline through which Renaissance artists mastered contrapposto figure construction.