Portrait Head of a Man
Mid–3rd century
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
38.1 × 26.7 × 24.1 cm (15 × 10 1/2 × 9 1/2 in.)
Classification
marble
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
48931
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This head, which depicts a man crowned with a wreath, might be a portrait of an emperor. His facial features, including almond-shaped eyes, tight-lipped mouth, faint mustache, and neck whiskers, as well as his triangular head, which tapers toward the chin, suggest his possible identification as Gallienus (r. A.D. 253–68). This type of wreath, which is composed of grape vines and ivy, was worn by Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and theater. Emperors frequently associated themselves with gods by a...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...