DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52594#0484
Roman Portraiture.
685. (I.N. 779). Antinous, Hadrian’s favourite. Colossal head. M.
H. 0.40. The nose and a small part of the lower lip modern. The
right ear and a small part of the locks broken off. Here and there
slightly damaged. On the right side of the neck an iron clamp to
secure the insertion of the head into a statue. On the hair, which is
deepy drilled, are traces of both a metal wreath and the star which
adorned the vertex of the divine youth. Acquired 1889 from Rome.
The colossal neck forms a curious contrast to the delicate
oval of the face. Below the slightly raised brows the gaze is
directed towards one side, the eyes being, however, less
blurred than in the magnificent statue No. 548 (see ibid, on
Antinous statues. Several Antinous portraits at Berlin have
been published by C. Bliimel: Rom. Bildn. Berlin p. 24 seqq.).
Billedtavler pl. LVII. Marconi, Mon. Lincei XXIX 1923 p. 161 seqq., is
ignorant of both No. 685 and No. 686.
686. (I.N. 1191). Antinous. Colossal head. M.
II. 0.41 from chin to vertex 0.29. The neck, nose, upper lip, large
part of the right cheek, right brow and entire vertex in plaster. Ac-
quired 1894 from the Regnicoli collection at Tivoli.
A much damaged and insignificant portrait. See also
Nos. 548 and 685.
Billedtavler pl. LVII.
687. (I. N. 780). Young Roman of the time of Hadrian. Bust. M.
II. 0.58 from chin to vertex 0.28. The bust with the inscription slab
are antique, only the base of the bust is modern. The nose in plaster,
the ears partly broken off. The surface has traces of polish, but the
beard and hair are rough so as to retain the colour. Acquired from
a Roman art dealer.
A young, fattish man with a broad face, double chin,
strong uninterrupted brows, a thin moustache, sparse line of
beard on the lower lip, strong curly beard on the chin.
The bust form, surface polish, hair style and short full
beard allow an exact dating to the time of Hadrian (cf. Nos.
681-82).
In earlier catalogues the bust is identified as Aelius Verus,
Hadrian’s first adopted son, the father of Lucius Verus, so
weak of constitution that Hadrian said about him: “we have
been leaning against a ramshackle wall”. Indeed, he died
before Hadrian (Spartian: Vita Hadriani 23). But the Glyp-
480
685. (I.N. 779). Antinous, Hadrian’s favourite. Colossal head. M.
H. 0.40. The nose and a small part of the lower lip modern. The
right ear and a small part of the locks broken off. Here and there
slightly damaged. On the right side of the neck an iron clamp to
secure the insertion of the head into a statue. On the hair, which is
deepy drilled, are traces of both a metal wreath and the star which
adorned the vertex of the divine youth. Acquired 1889 from Rome.
The colossal neck forms a curious contrast to the delicate
oval of the face. Below the slightly raised brows the gaze is
directed towards one side, the eyes being, however, less
blurred than in the magnificent statue No. 548 (see ibid, on
Antinous statues. Several Antinous portraits at Berlin have
been published by C. Bliimel: Rom. Bildn. Berlin p. 24 seqq.).
Billedtavler pl. LVII. Marconi, Mon. Lincei XXIX 1923 p. 161 seqq., is
ignorant of both No. 685 and No. 686.
686. (I.N. 1191). Antinous. Colossal head. M.
II. 0.41 from chin to vertex 0.29. The neck, nose, upper lip, large
part of the right cheek, right brow and entire vertex in plaster. Ac-
quired 1894 from the Regnicoli collection at Tivoli.
A much damaged and insignificant portrait. See also
Nos. 548 and 685.
Billedtavler pl. LVII.
687. (I. N. 780). Young Roman of the time of Hadrian. Bust. M.
II. 0.58 from chin to vertex 0.28. The bust with the inscription slab
are antique, only the base of the bust is modern. The nose in plaster,
the ears partly broken off. The surface has traces of polish, but the
beard and hair are rough so as to retain the colour. Acquired from
a Roman art dealer.
A young, fattish man with a broad face, double chin,
strong uninterrupted brows, a thin moustache, sparse line of
beard on the lower lip, strong curly beard on the chin.
The bust form, surface polish, hair style and short full
beard allow an exact dating to the time of Hadrian (cf. Nos.
681-82).
In earlier catalogues the bust is identified as Aelius Verus,
Hadrian’s first adopted son, the father of Lucius Verus, so
weak of constitution that Hadrian said about him: “we have
been leaning against a ramshackle wall”. Indeed, he died
before Hadrian (Spartian: Vita Hadriani 23). But the Glyp-
480