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Roman

Male figure, 1-100 CE

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Roman

Title

Male figure

Year

1-100 CE

Medium

Marble

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • white marble

Dimensions

114 x 54.6 x 31.8 cm (44 7/8 x 21 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches)

Type

  • Sculpture

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

26.159

Projects & Publications

Publications

Rethinking the Romans

New Views of Ancient Sculpture

Classical Sculpture

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Rethinking the Romans

April 6, 2001 - January 2, 2009

An Exhibition of Classical Antiquities

September 1, 1981 - April 1, 1982

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

This piece was long considered to be a statue of a standing athlete tying a victory fillet around his head. However, close observation of the figure’s anatomical features suggest instead that he was in dynamic movement: he was lunging forward with most of his weight borne by a bent left leg (now missing) and his right leg was actively extended behind him.

The cavity between the shoulders indicates that the statue’s neck area was prepared to receive a portrait head. This sort of athletic body type in sculpture became very popular in the Roman world and was used extensively in honorary portraits. As a type, it was favored by imperial and non-imperial persons alike, as the individual was paid tribute by his presentation in heroic nudity.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Male figure with the accession number of 26.159. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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