Marble Head of an Athlete
after unknown (Greek (ancient)); unknown (Ancient Roman)
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Date
138-192Description
Overall view from left side showing fillet band in the hair; Roman marble copy of a Greek bronze statue of ca. 450-425 BCE. Created in the Roman Mid-Imperial, Antonine period. This head of a youth wearing a fillet (band) must have belonged to a statue of a victorious athlete. He probably rested one arm lightly on his head; the remains of a rectangular support can still be seen among his curls. Roman copies often conformed to contemporary taste, and the contrast between polished flesh and deeply drilled hair on this head would have held special appeal for clients in the second century CE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art [website]; http://www.metmuseum.org (accessed 4/30/2014)
Type of Work
sculpture (visual work)Subject
human figure, portrait, Roman Empire, athletic games, Classical, Imperial (Roman)
Rights
Rights Statement
Licensed for educational and research use by the MIT community only