Artwork Page for Head of a Bearded Man

Details / Information for Head of a Bearded Man

Head of a Bearded Man

c. 125 CE

Italy, Roman

Medium
marble
Measurements
Overall: 18.5 cm (7 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of J. H. Wade 1924.535
Public Domain
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Location
103 Roman
Print
?

Did You Know?

This head was probably originally displayed against a wall or in a niche.

Description

This small-scale portrait depicts a bearded man turned toward his left. His close-cropped hair is combed forward in artful waves, echoed in his short beard. While parts of the chest and shoulders have been lost, the projecting element underneath suggests this portrait was intended as a bust. Beards were uncommon in Rome until the emperor Hadrian (r. 117–38 CE) popularized them during his reign. This man’s grooming is so similar to the emperor’s that he was first thought to be Hadrian; however, the face is too angular. Wealthy and noble Romans would often depict themselves with the same styles as the imperial family.
A marble bust depicts a man looking slightly to our right, his lips pressed in a straight line and nose broken away. Thick, wavy hair forms deep ridges across the top, while a short, textured beard follows the jawline. The off-white stone is dappled with dark spotting and a chip on the forehead. His eyes are smooth and hazily outlined with no further detail. The neck ends in a jagged, fragmented base.

Head of a Bearded Man

c. 125 CE

Italy, Roman

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