Marble bust from the neck up of a realistically carved bearded man with loose curly hair and furrowed brows resting on a pedestal against a gray backdrop.
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Unknown Maker, Roman

Portrait of Hadrian
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Roman

Culture

Roman

Title

Portrait of Hadrian

Period

Ancient

Year

ca. 130 CE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

marble

Geography

Origin: Thasos

Dimensions

40.8 x 24.8 x 19.7 cm (16 1/16 x 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

59.050

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

Hadrian was emperor at the very height of the
Imperial Period (117–138 CE). He was selected to rule the Roman Empire because
of his personal skills rather than his ancestry. One of the most well-traveled
and cosmopolitan Roman emperors, he made two journeys around the empire during
his reign. He is remembered for his love of the Greek world, particularly its
arts and architecture.

Portraits of reigning
emperors ensured that Roman citizens knew what their ruler looked like, and
were widely distributed throughout the empire. This portrait of Hadrian would
have been inserted into a carved bust and prominently displayed. The beard
Hadrian wore (allegedly to conceal blemishes), started a trend among emperors
that endured up to the 3rd century CE. This head was damaged and has not been
repaired. Although it was once fashionable to replace all the “missing” parts
of statues, we cannot be sure these later additions give an accurate idea of
how the sculpture originally appeared. It is now considered best practice to
leave fragments as they were found.


Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Roman
Portrait of Hadrian, ca. 130 CE
Marble (likely from Thasos)
40.8 x 24.8 x 19.7 cm (16 1/16 x 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches)
Anonymous gift 59.050

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