Portrait Head of a Noble or Official
Unknown Artist
175–200 CE
Medium
marble
Dimensions
h. 38.2 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1952.260
About this artwork
A nobleman or government official is likely depicted in this portrait of a curly-haired man with a full beard. These features, together with drilled pupils and irises on the eyes, typically do not appear in Roman sculpture prior to the reign of Hadrian (AD 117–38), an admirer of Greek culture. Deeply carved beards and curls remain popular in portraiture throughout (and beyond) the Antonine period (AD 138–92), when this sculpture was probably made.