A Boy
late 15th–early 16th century
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed): 12 3/4 x 12 5/16 x 8 3/8 in., 39.7lb. (32.4 x 31.2 x 21.3 cm, 18kg)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
Italian, Rome
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
Accession Number
32.100.154
Tags
Art Historical Context
Gian Cristoforo Romano’s marble sculpture *A Boy*, created in Rome during the late fifteenth to early sixteenth century, captures the tender likeness of a young child in a moment of quiet contemplation. Carved from a single block of marble, the work reflects the Renaissance revival of classical portraiture, where artists sought to convey both physical realism and inner character through smooth surfaces and subtle modeling. Romano, active in papal Rome and known for his sensitive portrait busts and medals, worked during the transition from the Early to High Renaissance. This small-scale piece,...