DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52594#0412
Roman Portraiture.
588. (I. N. 1952).. Male head from a high relief. M.
H. (from chin to vertex) 0.23. The nose and part of the ears, the
eyes and chin broken off. Acquired 1907 at Rome.
The head is evidently broken off . a high relief, for the
right side of the occiput has a fracture surface which has
been smoothed later on and the whole design of the form of
the head reveals that it probably had a three quarter turn
with the left profile turned forward.
The strangest feature of the head is the pecked short full
beard on the left side of the face which stops abruptly on
the right half. This shows that the relief has been made over
during the third or fourth century A. D. But it is a curious
feature that the pupils have not been touched as in the head
No. 552, which has been treated in the same manner. As
shown by' the treatment of the hair the original head be-
longed to the time of Nero like No. 629 a (cf. also Arndt-
Amelung 3504-5 and Caskey: Catalogue Boston p. 201 No.
117).
Billedtavler pl. XXXXVII. Fr. Poulsen in Vidensk. Selsk. Forhandlinger
1913 No. 5, p. 423. Same in Gazette des Beaux-Arts 1934, 2, p. 4 seqq., figs.
5-6. Arndt-Amelung 4792-93 (Fr. Poulsen).
589. (I. N. 1575). .4 Boman. Colossal head. M.
H. with the completely modern bust 0.83, of the head alone from
chin to vertex 0.36. The tip and bridge of the nose and rims of the
ears modern in marble. Acquired 1896 from Rome, where it was
earlier in the Palazzo Barberini.
This large head belongs to a portrait group representing
Romans and is connected with late Hellenistic portraits and
therefore probably made by Greek sculptors. As an example
of the Hellenistic prototypes may be mentioned a colossal
head of a priest from Smyrna in the Louvre (Cat. Sommaire
1922 pl. LXII No. 3294. On the wreath Studniczka, Arch.
Jahrb. 38-39, 1923-24, p. 69 note 1).
The dating is impeded by the fact that these portraits of
Romans are evidently copies from the time of the Empire.
Two related heads, called “Marius” and “Sulla”, are at
Munich, a third, called “Maecenas”, in the Louvre (cf. Br.
Br. 10. R. West I pl. XIV 52-53). A privately owned head at
Milan also belongs here (Arch. Anz. 55, 1940, pp. 370 and
373 fig. 1). The workmanship particularly the treatment of
408
588. (I. N. 1952).. Male head from a high relief. M.
H. (from chin to vertex) 0.23. The nose and part of the ears, the
eyes and chin broken off. Acquired 1907 at Rome.
The head is evidently broken off . a high relief, for the
right side of the occiput has a fracture surface which has
been smoothed later on and the whole design of the form of
the head reveals that it probably had a three quarter turn
with the left profile turned forward.
The strangest feature of the head is the pecked short full
beard on the left side of the face which stops abruptly on
the right half. This shows that the relief has been made over
during the third or fourth century A. D. But it is a curious
feature that the pupils have not been touched as in the head
No. 552, which has been treated in the same manner. As
shown by' the treatment of the hair the original head be-
longed to the time of Nero like No. 629 a (cf. also Arndt-
Amelung 3504-5 and Caskey: Catalogue Boston p. 201 No.
117).
Billedtavler pl. XXXXVII. Fr. Poulsen in Vidensk. Selsk. Forhandlinger
1913 No. 5, p. 423. Same in Gazette des Beaux-Arts 1934, 2, p. 4 seqq., figs.
5-6. Arndt-Amelung 4792-93 (Fr. Poulsen).
589. (I. N. 1575). .4 Boman. Colossal head. M.
H. with the completely modern bust 0.83, of the head alone from
chin to vertex 0.36. The tip and bridge of the nose and rims of the
ears modern in marble. Acquired 1896 from Rome, where it was
earlier in the Palazzo Barberini.
This large head belongs to a portrait group representing
Romans and is connected with late Hellenistic portraits and
therefore probably made by Greek sculptors. As an example
of the Hellenistic prototypes may be mentioned a colossal
head of a priest from Smyrna in the Louvre (Cat. Sommaire
1922 pl. LXII No. 3294. On the wreath Studniczka, Arch.
Jahrb. 38-39, 1923-24, p. 69 note 1).
The dating is impeded by the fact that these portraits of
Romans are evidently copies from the time of the Empire.
Two related heads, called “Marius” and “Sulla”, are at
Munich, a third, called “Maecenas”, in the Louvre (cf. Br.
Br. 10. R. West I pl. XIV 52-53). A privately owned head at
Milan also belongs here (Arch. Anz. 55, 1940, pp. 370 and
373 fig. 1). The workmanship particularly the treatment of
408