Relief Fragment with the Profile of a Male Head (310259)

inv. no. 310259
max. h. 0.19 m; max. w. 0.14 m; max. d. 0.08 m
Pentelic marble
The profile is completely detached from the surrounding relief ground; missing are the nose, the upper lip, and the lower rear portion of the head.

The fragment preserves the clean left profile of a young man with idealized features. The tresses are livelier at the ends of the curls, where they are separated by drill channels.

The very close comparison with the figure who represents the Genius Populi Romani on one of the Cancelleria relief panels leads us to think that one ought to recognize the same personification in this head. It is likely, therefore, that this fragment belonged to the same scene as the emperor Vespasian. The figure was 1.28 m in total height (h. chin to cranium 0.16 m).

Bibliography

Hartwig 25, pl. III, 7; Koeppel (1984) 13-15; 54, cat. 22, fig. 32; ArchRoma 140, fig. 117 c (R. Paris), with earlier bibliography.

Catalogue entry by Rita Paris

Copyright © 1997 Ministero per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali, Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan. All rights reserved.