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The ancient Romans admired Greek sculpture of every period and style, importing works by the thousands and copying them in even greater numbers. This marble Torso of a Male Athlete is what remains of a Roman version of the Greek original (long since lost) from the fourth century B.C. Likely Lysippos, one of the great Greek sculptors of the fourth century B.C., or one of his immediate followers made the bronze original of The Oil Pourer between 340 and 300 B.C., during the Late Classical period in Greek art. The young male nude-the ideal subject for many Greek artists-is shown not at the height of exertion but in a calm preparatory moment, applying oil before an athletic event. The figure's robust musculature and the near magical sense of movement and proportion demonstrate the artist's complete mastery of human anatomy.