Portrait of a Roman

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Carved in Alexandria, Egypt, in marble from the Greek island of Paros, this stunning head seamlessly blends late Hellenistic royal portraits with the unmistakable stern realism of Roman sculptures. The body may have been crafted from a more affordable material such as limestone or even wood. The subject is likely an influential official or aristocrat who served on Cyprus during the early years of Roman rule. Walker & Higgs 2001 This exceptional portrait, carved in Parian marble, showcases remarkable quality and technique. It has been identified as Octavian, but the face lacks the broad cheekbones and jaw characteristic of Octavian's features. The subject is more likely a contemporary senior official with considerable authority. The treatment of the eyes echoes some Hellenistic royal portraits, despite the Roman features. BIBLIOGRAPHY: S. Walker and A.Burnett, Augustus, British Museum Occasional Papers 16 (London 1981), 15, no. 154 (bibl.).BM Sculpture (written 1904, interpretation does not hold) The usual portraits of Augustus differ in one remarkable feature from the description of his personal appearance given by Suetonius in his 'Life', 79. We read in this passage that Augustus's nose was higher up than in general among men. It seems that artists often toned down this distinctive feature. However, assuming on other grounds that this head represents Augustus, more advanced in life than in his usual portraits, we recognize exactly the shape of nose described by Suetonius. These other grounds are the finely modeled cheeks, the compressed lips, as of one who had few teeth and those bad (dentes raros et exiguos et scabros), the dimple on the chin, the piercing gaze, with eyebrows knit and overhanging the eyes (acrius contuenti), the serene expression (vultu tranquillo serenoque), and ears of moderate size (mediocres aures). The unfinished state of the hair deprives us of the means of comparison in this respect, but Augustus is known to have been negligent with his hair (in capite comendo incuriosus). Description Parian marble portrait head from a statue of a Roman. Beardless head with sparse and keen features, and an aquiline nose. The hair is slightly indicated by incisions, and stands up above the brow. It recedes at the temples in a fashion seen on contemporary portraits from Egypt. The brow is furrowed, the deep-set almond-shaped eyes are long and hooded, the nose hooked, the lips thin and unsmiling, the chin and Adam's apple prominent.