Getty Museum

Portrait Head of Kleanthes (?)

Date

A.D. 120–140

Medium

Marble

Culture

Roman

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

This portrait is of the philosopher type. The man has a somber expression, the heavily lidded right eye conveying a distant, unfocused gaze. He has a heavy beard composed of thick sickle-shaped curls and a thick moustache that gives the impression of a down turned mouth. He has a high, prominent forehead with the hairline pushed back to near the top of the head. The brow is furrowed. The hair is rendered as short, undulating locks through the play of grooves and ridges flowing from the center to the sides. Made of a gray-veined marble, much of the head is missing, having been sheared away. On the left side, most of the left part of the hair, forehead, part of the left eye, ear, and cheek are missing. In the back, much of the left side is also missing along with a large chunk of the right side starting behind the right ear and wrapping around the back of the head and neck. Fissures run from the back of the head, over the top, and down the right cheek.

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