Statue of a Young Boy
1st century
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
58 × 24.5 × 18.9 cm (22 7/8 × 9 5/8 × 7 1/2 in.)
Classification
marble
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
51503
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Representations of children were popular in both public and private art during the Roman imperial period. It is uncertain whether this statue is a portrait of a specific child or was inspired by a basic type that had originated among the Greeks several centuries earlier. The boy, who has a head of curly hair, rounded cheeks, and a pudgy belly, gazes downward and to the side. It is possible that he is admiring a pet at his feet, as Roman statues of children frequently depict them with companion 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...