Half portrait of a man

Classification

portrait

Culture

Roman

Dimensions

height: 33 cm

Date

190–200

Period

Antonine Period (138–192); Caracalla (198–217)

Material

marble analysis ; Göktepe marble

Iconography

male head

Production place

Roman Empire

Findspot

Rome (city)

Present location

Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts, Collection of Classical Antiquities

Provenance

Arndt, Paul (1865–1937)

Inventory

4813

Hyp-3221

References

Szilágyi, J. Gy., Antik Gyűjtemény, 141, fig. 102; Szilágyi, J. Gy., Ancient Art, 161, fig. 103; Hekler 1929, 133–135, no. 125

The half-portrait illustrates the artistic solutions that characterised the sculptural representation of the human face from the 2nd century AD. The iris of the eye is marked by a thin circle, and the pupil by two incised lines, giving greater emphasis to the gaze. The plastically modelled tresses are separated by deep notches which make distinct light and dark bands alternate on the portrait, while the beard is rendered by fine incisions recalling eiderdown.

Marble analyses conducted by Danielle Decrouez (Geneva, Museum of Natural History) and Karl Ramseyer (University of Bern, Institute of Geological Sciences) have shown that the portrait was made of Göktepe marble. Click here for the detailed results.

Trails

New paths of artistic expression in the late Imperial period

This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.