Getty Museum

Portrait Bust of a Bearded Man

Date

about A.D. 215

Medium

Marble

Culture

Roman

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

This marble portrait of a middle-aged man with short, curly hair is very well preserved. His beard, also curly, frames a strong, square jawline. His age is indicated by the deep lines running from his nose to his mouth. Drapery falls in deep folds around the neck and shoulders. The high polish of the marble contrasts with the texture of his hair and drapery. Portraits of private citizens often followed trends set by the current emperor and imperial family. Here the style of the closely cropped hair and beard is characteristic of the reign of the emperor Caracalla (ruled A.D. 211–217). The large eyes with deeply drilled, crescent-shaped pupils placed high in the irises are characteristic of sculptures carved during his reign.

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