DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52594#0518
Roman Portraiture.
Alexander Severus and its nearest parallel is No. 738; only,
the hair is drawn taut in the provincial style like No. 733.
Billedtavler pl. LXIL
738. (I. N. 792). The Empress Annia Faustina (?). Head. M.
H. 0.33, from chin to vertex 0.22. The nose, left eyebrow, most of
the ears small parts of the cheeks and a large part at the back of
the vertex modern in plaster. The head has belonged to a statue; at
the nape of the neck is a fold of the drapery. Acquired 1894 from
Rome.
The coiffure seems to be a forerunner of that of Julia
Mammaea (Nos. 742-743) and agrees with the one worn
by Annia Faustina, the empress of Elagabal, on coin portraits
(Bernoulli: Rom. Ikon. II 3 pl. of coins II 17). The head
No. 738 portrays a famous woman, as two definite replicas
exist, the head No. 739 here in the Glyptotek and a slightly
damaged head in the Museo Capitolino Nuovo (D. Mustilli:
Il Museo Mussolini pl. XXVIII 98; text p. 47 No. 36). The
features of this latter portrait are slightly more mature. It is
therefore probable that these three heads represent the
young empress, who was a great grandchild of Marcus
Aurelius and whom Elagabal married in 221 and shortly
afterwards cast off (on Elagabal’s numerous wives see
Herodian V 6, 1-2). For just as there is a mutual likeness in
the three heads, certain features in them also agree with
the coin portraits: big eyes, a short nose below a domed
forehead and a narrow chin. In any case the portrait of
this languishing young woman dates from the period of
Elagabal.
The highly animated action in the carriage of this head is
no doubt connected with the type of statue with which it
was connected, in the same way as our best Caracalla portrait
was connected with a statue of the Diomedes type (see
under No. 730 a). Parallels that may be cited are a con-
temporary female bust at New York (Helbing-Katalog, Samml.
Heyl II, Munchen 1930, No. 28 and pl. 13 = Bull. Metrop.
Mus. XXVI 1931 p. 62 seq.) and a female bust at Berlin
(Bliimel: Rom. Bildn. Berlin R 117, pl. 75).
Billedtavler pl. LXII. A. B. 1169. There is a probability that the same
woman is portrayed in the so-called Julia Paula in the Louvre, Bernoulli:
514
Alexander Severus and its nearest parallel is No. 738; only,
the hair is drawn taut in the provincial style like No. 733.
Billedtavler pl. LXIL
738. (I. N. 792). The Empress Annia Faustina (?). Head. M.
H. 0.33, from chin to vertex 0.22. The nose, left eyebrow, most of
the ears small parts of the cheeks and a large part at the back of
the vertex modern in plaster. The head has belonged to a statue; at
the nape of the neck is a fold of the drapery. Acquired 1894 from
Rome.
The coiffure seems to be a forerunner of that of Julia
Mammaea (Nos. 742-743) and agrees with the one worn
by Annia Faustina, the empress of Elagabal, on coin portraits
(Bernoulli: Rom. Ikon. II 3 pl. of coins II 17). The head
No. 738 portrays a famous woman, as two definite replicas
exist, the head No. 739 here in the Glyptotek and a slightly
damaged head in the Museo Capitolino Nuovo (D. Mustilli:
Il Museo Mussolini pl. XXVIII 98; text p. 47 No. 36). The
features of this latter portrait are slightly more mature. It is
therefore probable that these three heads represent the
young empress, who was a great grandchild of Marcus
Aurelius and whom Elagabal married in 221 and shortly
afterwards cast off (on Elagabal’s numerous wives see
Herodian V 6, 1-2). For just as there is a mutual likeness in
the three heads, certain features in them also agree with
the coin portraits: big eyes, a short nose below a domed
forehead and a narrow chin. In any case the portrait of
this languishing young woman dates from the period of
Elagabal.
The highly animated action in the carriage of this head is
no doubt connected with the type of statue with which it
was connected, in the same way as our best Caracalla portrait
was connected with a statue of the Diomedes type (see
under No. 730 a). Parallels that may be cited are a con-
temporary female bust at New York (Helbing-Katalog, Samml.
Heyl II, Munchen 1930, No. 28 and pl. 13 = Bull. Metrop.
Mus. XXVI 1931 p. 62 seq.) and a female bust at Berlin
(Bliimel: Rom. Bildn. Berlin R 117, pl. 75).
Billedtavler pl. LXII. A. B. 1169. There is a probability that the same
woman is portrayed in the so-called Julia Paula in the Louvre, Bernoulli:
514