STATUE OF A YOUTH: THE “CAPITOLINE ANTINOOS”
Classification
Dimensions
186 x 65 x 60 cm
Date
early 20th century
Period
Material
Iconography
Production place
Inventory
Ag.309
ID
Hyp-6412
References
The statue shows a standing youth, looking down. We do not know what objects he held, which makes the identification of the figure uncertain. If the right hand is complemented with a herald’s staff (kerykeion), the statue depicts Hermes. But the structure of the curly hair and the features of the arched face distantly echo the portraits of Antinoos. Antinoos (111—130 AD) became known as the lover of Emperor Hadrian; he was later deified, and his memory preserved through many sculptures. At the same time, the treatment of the body recalls Greek representations of gods or athletes in the Late Classical period.
