Art Institute of Chicago

Fragment of a Portrait Statue of a Man, Perhaps a Roman Emperor

Roman

Date

late 1st-early 2nd century

Medium

Marble

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The unidentified man in this over-life-size headless portrait statue is dressed in full military regalia. His torso is covered with a body armor called a cuirass, the front side of which is adorned with figural motifs intended to ward off evil. His armor is worn over a long tunic that ends above his knees and a leather, vest-like garment with tasseled straps to protect his groin and shoulders. He wears a type of heavy cloak, typically worn by Roman military commanders, draped over his left shoulder. Without the carved head, which would have been made separately and attached, it is impossible to identify the individual represented in this portrait. The elaborate ceremonial armor suggests that he was a general or perhaps even the emperor, as the latter held the role of commander of the Roman army.

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