The Hermitage statue is based on a Greek original in the austere style (5th century B.C.). We sense in the figure of the young man both movement and, at the same time, a certain woodenness. The torso turned full on to face the viewer does not accord with the motion in the lower part of the body, while the austere manner, with elements of archaism, in which the youth's head has been executed contrasts with the sharp way in which it is turned. It is believed that the statue was either a depiction of Hyacinthus watching the flight of Apollo's discus or a part of a sculptural group. The latter version provides a logical explanation for the sharp turn of the youth's head and the imbalance of his figure as a whole which should be balanced by a second figure alongside.