Portrait of Alexander the Great

thingiverse

From the British Museum, this Hellenistic Greek bust, dated between the 2nd-1st century BC, is believed to have originated in Alexandria, Egypt. Reputedly, Alexander the Great commissioned only a select group of artists for his portraits, with renowned sculptor Lysippos and painter Apelles among them. This particular sculpture illustrates a more youthful, yet possibly divine, Alexander; he has long hair, tilted head, and upward gaze. It was acquired in Alexandria, the city founded by Alexander himself and also the location of his tomb. Cosmo Wenman scanned this marble masterpiece using AutoDesk 123D Catch and printed it life-size in PLA on a MakerBot Replicator. The bust was then finished with 'Lost Bronze', 'Firenze', and 'Wrecked Iron' with Alternate Reality Patinas, showcasing the artistic potential of 3D printing. Wenman believes that private collectors and museums can utilize 3D scanning and printing technologies to recast themselves as engines of cultural creation, projecting their collections outward into the public realm for adaptation, multiplication, and remixing. This head has been an important symbol; it was worn by Hellenistic kings with the royal diadem - a band of cloth tied around the hair, which became a symbol of Hellenistic kingship. Alexander was also the first king to worship as a god, influencing subsequent rulers to remain beardless, a trend that lasted for almost five centuries.