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Head of a young man
Roman
Imperial Period
second half of the 1st century A.D.
Place of Manufacture: Italy, Lazio, Rome
Medium/Technique
Marble, from Mt. Pentelikon near Athens
Dimensions
Overall: 31.8 × 15.6 × 17.5 cm (12 1/2 × 6 1/8 × 6 7/8 in.)
Mounted: 41.3 × 15.2 × 15.2 cm (16 1/4 × 6 × 6 in.)
Mounted: 41.3 × 15.2 × 15.2 cm (16 1/4 × 6 × 6 in.)
Credit Line
Benjamin Pierce Cheney Donation
Accession Number88.643
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSculpture
Catalogue Raisonné
Sculpture in Stone (MFA), no. 339; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 114 (additional published references).
DescriptionHead of a young man slightly turned to the left, carved for insertion in a body. Some facial features and the thick, curly hair have led some scholars to believe that the head represents a man of North African descent and to deduce some social status. Without any further evidence such as a name--which would have been inscribed on the base of the statue--other identifying markers such as clothing or extensive remains of paint, or a specific find spot, the ethnicity and status of the young man remains uncertain. This portrait is however a typical product of Roman portraiture both in the interest in physiognomy and format of a slightly turned head to be inserted in a body. The carving of the hair, some simplification in the treatment of surfaces, and format suggest a date in the second half of the first century AD.
The nose and right shoulder were once restored, but restorations have since been removed. The eyebrows and lips are damaged. The chin is broken and much of the right ear and a bit of the left are missing. A flat chisel was used to smooth the damage on the right jaw. The surface seems otherwise untouched with a yellow patina. A few flecks of reddish brown paint are visible in the hair at the back of the head.
The nose and right shoulder were once restored, but restorations have since been removed. The eyebrows and lips are damaged. The chin is broken and much of the right ear and a bit of the left are missing. A flat chisel was used to smooth the damage on the right jaw. The surface seems otherwise untouched with a yellow patina. A few flecks of reddish brown paint are visible in the hair at the back of the head.
ProvenanceBy 1888: with Luigi Jandolo (said to have been found in Rome); purchased by R. Lanciani from Luigi Jandolo; purchased by MFA from R. Lanciani, 1888, for $493.92 (this figure is the total price of MFA 88.538–88.644 and 89.9–89.31)