Antinous Silvanus

myminifactory

The art-loving Roman Emperor Hadrian created numerous images of his beloved Antinous, each characterized by soft smooth flesh and a rather melancholy expression. This heavily damaged cast is a fragment of an overall larger marble relief depicting Antinous as Silvanus, the god of woods and fields, harvesting grapes with ease. Antinous wears a pine wreath and the exomis, the Greek tunic fastened over his left shoulder only, while his right hand grasps a sheaf of grapes. In the full image, he is accompanied by a rustic scene, with vines and foliage sprawling around him. Thanks to the lavish praise of art historian Wickelmann, this sculpture rapidly gained widespread acclaim; plaster casts were readily available, further spreading its fame throughout the Roman Empire. Antinous passed away in 130 AD, while Hadrian followed suit in 138 AD, making it likely that the relief was crafted between these two pivotal dates. On the original work, the maker's name is inscribed in bold Greek letters: "Antonianos of Aphrodisias made this". The sculpture was discovered in the area of Torre del Padiglione, nestled between Anzio and Lanuvio. Found in 1907, it now takes pride of place in the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome's premier art museum.