Getty Museum

Portrait Bust of a Roman Adolescent

Date

A.D. 170–190

Medium

Marble

Culture

Roman

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

A fragmentary bust of a boy of perhaps fourteen year of age. The head rests atop a long, slender neck with a prominent adam's apple. The youth has high cheekbones and a slightly pouting mouth. The brows are drawn together as indicated by two shallow grooves above the ridge of the nose. He looks upward and to the left. The hair is highly plastic, hanging in long, undulating locks that cover the forehead and ears. The overall effect is a wet look. The quality of the detailed carving is consistent all the way around the head. A running drill was used to shape the locks near the front and above the ears. The chest has been broken on the right side and on part of the left. The nose, lips, and left cheek are also damaged. Root marking and incrustation appear on the neck, chest, and on the right side of the head. There are some modern chips at the back of the head. The marble is white and fine-grained, covered in a yellow patina.

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