Souffleur, what is the meaning of 'Contrapposto'?
© M Leuven
SOUFFLEUR
CONTRAPPOSTO
“Souffleur (de; m/f; pl: souffleurs): prompter. One who whispers the actor his/her lines.’’ According to the Dutch-language dictionary Van Dale, a souffleur or prompter is someone who helps you remember something you already know. We thought it would be a nice title for this new section: in it, M’s employees provide explanations and background to professional terms that may sound familiar to your ears, but that you may not know the meaning of (or maybe you no longer remember).
© M Leuven
Marlies Verreydt, staff member public relations: “If you adopt a relaxed posture while standing, you will soon put your weight on one leg. This creates a beautiful dynamic in your body. The knee of your supporting leg is straightened, but your other leg has freedom. That knee bends and your ankle rises slightly. Your hip on the side of the leg with room to play drops a little, and as a result your upper body seeks a new equilibrium: your torso twists a little, and your shoulders tilt slightly.
“In sculpture, this posture is called contrapposto. We often call it the ‘S-pose’, because there is a twist in the body. Sculptures in contrapposto often look dynamic: as if they could just walk away. And at the same time, it is a very natural pose. If you ask people whether they want to be photographed, there is a good chance that they will immediately stand in contrapposto. And because it’s a relaxed posture, they can also hold it for a long time. Not unimportant if you’re posing for an artist.”
“I often see visitors at M adopt the contrapposto position themselves when they are looking at such a sculpture. I always find that quite beautiful. Unconsciously imitating something is very human. It means that the sculptor has done his work well. And contrapposto is such a relaxed posture that it just feels very natural.”
