CIRCA 3RD CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN MARBLE PORTRAIT HEAD OF A MAN
CIRCA 3RD CENTURY A.D.
Lifesized, his head turned slightly to his right, with closely-cropped hair in short chiseled locks, and a receding m-shaped hairline, a raised lock in front of each ear, his oval face with angular cheekbones, tapering to a square chin, his large, heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes with incised irises and drilled pupils, the sharp brows articulated, his small mouth with full lips, with a short closely-cropped beard and mustache, tapering to two peaked locks below the chin
11 in. (28 cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired by the grandfather of the current owner and brought to New York, prior to 1948; thence by descent.

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Lot Essay

The square shape of the face with pronounced cheekbones, the upward-gazing eyes, the short cap-like hair and the cropped facial hair are typical of 3rd century portraiture. According to Kleiner (pp. 381-382 in Roman Sculpture), private portraiture "shows their indebtedness to contemporary imperial portraiture, especially to their military iconography...even though they often revealed the personal predilections of the patron and sometimes his position in Roman society." For similar examples, see a portrait of Elagabalus, reworked as Severus Alexander, no. 52. in Varner, ed., From Caligula to Constantine: Tyranny & Transformation in Roman Portraiture; for an unidentified private portrait, once thought to be Emperor Trebonianus Gallus, see no. 49 in Johansen, Roman Portraits III, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.

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