Portrait of Homer, Blind type

myminifactory

This cast originates from a vintage marble (ORIG2438) housed at the Museo Archeological Nazionale in Naples, Italy. The enigmatic portrait was acquired by the Farnese family, who first placed it at Palazzo Farnese and later relocated it to Villa Farnesina. Inherited by the Bourbons through Charles III, the portrait was transferred to Naples in 1790 and finally displayed in the Museum. The bust, restored by skilled artisan C. Albacini, portrays a character advanced in years with an inspired attitude, corresponding to the canons of the reconstructive portrait of the poet Homer, which gained widespread recognition during mature Hellenism and is known through numerous copies and reproductions. The bony face with high cheekbones is etched with many wrinkles, the eyes are deeply sunken, and the lips are slightly parted to reveal a hint of blindness in the poet, whose inspired attitude is particularly highlighted by the half-open lips. A version of this bust is featured prominently in Rembrandt's 'Aristotle with a Bust of Homer'. The frequent use of the drill in working the hair and the clear separation of the hair from the face assign the portrait to the work of skilled sculptors belonging to the Anthonine period, thus dating it to the third quarter of the second century AD. The chest of the bust has been restored but still retains its original visual integrity. If you produce new work using this model and wish to share it with us, please drop a line at web@smk.dk or stw@myminifactory.com. This scan was produced in collaboration between The Statens Museum for Kunst and Scan the World for the SMK-Open project. Every model produced from this initiative is available under an open source license. Scanner - Artec Eva