Getty Museum

Portrait Head of a Bearded Roman

Date

second half of 2nd century A.D.

Medium

Marble

Culture

Roman

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

The head of a beaded male. The hair and beard are rendered in a combination of fine, incised lines, plastically modeled locks, and the use of a drill. The beard flows down from the sideburns into a mass of thick, short curls. The hair on the cheeks and around the lips is wispy and rendered with incised lines. The hairline is receding at the temples. The curls in the front of the head are thickly clumped and drilled; at the back of the head, the curls swirl wavelike and clockwise around the crown. A deep ridge covers the small eyes. The irises are incised and the lacrimal caruncle is also indicated by an incised line. The stone is covered in a yellow-brown patina with some incrustation on the left side. The nose has suffered some damage.

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