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Head of Septimius Severus
Roman
Imperial Period
A.D. 196–235
Medium/Technique
Marble from the Greek island of Paros
Dimensions
Overall: 38.5 × 22.9 × 21.6 cm (15 3/16 × 9 × 8 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Harriet Otis Cruft Fund
Accession Number60.928
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSculpture
Catalogue Raisonné
Sculpture in Stone (MFA), no. 369; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 115 (additional published references).
DescriptionHead of Septimius Severus worked for insertion into either a full-length statue or bust format. The head is turned gently to the right and the gaze is directed up and away from the viewer. The skin is free of blemishes or wrinkles, save for the noticeable naso-labial lines frames the mouth. The eyes are wide with thick lids, incised irises, and drilled pupils. They are set deep within the eye sockets. The lacrimal glands have been distinguished by use of the drill. The feathered eyebrows have been damaged but it is still possible to see the pronounced arch of the brows. There is a slight furrow between his brows. Septimius is depicted with a full head of curly hair. Four isolated corkscrew curls fall over his forehead. His beard is long and gathers into two, parted clumps below the chin. The moustache lays flat over his upper lip. His lower lip is full. The drill has been used extensively in the section of beard underneath the chin and the locks of hair framing the face. The back of the head is carved in shallower relief.
The nose has been damaged and is now mostly missing, and sections of the hair have also suffered damage. Traces of a high polish on the neck and face are still visible, but the majority of the sculpture’s surface has deteriorated with evidence for abrasion and corrosion.
Scientific Analysis:
University of South Florida Lab No. 8437: Isotope ratios - delta13C +4.7 / delta18O -3.5,
Attribution - Paros 1, Lychnites. Justification - C and O isotopes, medium grain, hints of gray.
The nose has been damaged and is now mostly missing, and sections of the hair have also suffered damage. Traces of a high polish on the neck and face are still visible, but the majority of the sculpture’s surface has deteriorated with evidence for abrasion and corrosion.
Scientific Analysis:
University of South Florida Lab No. 8437: Isotope ratios - delta13C +4.7 / delta18O -3.5,
Attribution - Paros 1, Lychnites. Justification - C and O isotopes, medium grain, hints of gray.
ProvenanceSaid to be from Ostia or the Portus; by 1958: with Hesperia Art, 2219 St. James Place, Philadelphia; by 1960: with Ars Antiqua AG, Haldenstrasse 5, Lucerne, Switzerland (auction 2, Hotel Schweizerhof, Lucerne, lot 64); bought in at the auction by Hesperia Art (Bulletin 4, no. 36); September 21, 1960: purchased by MFA from Hesperia Art for $ 1,200.00