Published Roman Marble Head of Bearded Male

Roman, Imperial Period, Late Severan, ca. mid-3rd century CE. Finely carved from white marble, a more than life-sized head of a middle-aged bearded male with an expressive countenance, perhaps not imperial, however, a powerful portrait of an important individual given the scale and fine delineation, created during the era of Emperor Alexander Severus. The sculptor of this piece truly knew how to bring marble to life with veristic features: heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes with drilled pupils, feathery brows with incised individual hairs, an aquiline nose (with losses as is oftentimes the case for Roman busts), full lips with delineated philtrum and mustache, nasolabial folds, a neatly manicured curly beard, and naturalistic ears - this handsome visage crowned by a close-cropped, forward combed, wavy coiffure. Size: 8.5" L x 8" W x 11.5" H (21.6 cm x 20.3 cm x 29.2 cm); 17.625" H (44.8 cm) on included custom stand.

In very early Rome, men wore their beards uncut. It was not until 300 BCE, that Roman men shaved their beards as a rule according to Pliny (VII. 59). Pliny notes that P. Ticinius Maenas brought over a barber from Sicily at this time, and from then on, shaving became regular habit. During the later Republican Period, some men partially shaved and trimmed their beards. Interestingly, when mourning, men would allow their beards to grow, but in general, beards during this time were thought to be a mark of the lower classes and slovenliness. In addition, the first time a male shaved was noted as a milestone - a signature of manhood. The Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117-138 CE), however, revived the beard. According to Plutarch, he wore a beard to hide scars on his face. Thereafter, beards were favored by emperors until the time of Constantine the Great (reigned 306-337 CE).

Published in "The Muse's Song: Selections of Ancient Art." Fortuna Fine Arts, Ltd., 2008, fig. 31. Exhibited by Cahn AG, Switzerland, 2016-2019 including Tefaaf Maastricht, Netherlands 2017; Frieze Masters, London 2017; La Biennale, Paris 2018.

Cf a similar head in Jale Inan & Elisabeth Rosenbaum, "Roman and Early Byzantine Portrait Sculptures in Asia Minor" (London, 1966), cat.no. 181, pp. 143-144, pl. 106.1-2.; a fragmentary portrait identified as Alexander Severus in the Capitoline Museum, Magazine inv. 1431, published in Klaus Pittschen & Paul Zanker, "Katalog der Romischen Portraits in des Capitolishen Museum (Mainz, 1983), vol. 1, cat.no. 102, pl. 125; the head of a young man in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome, inv.no. 71938, published in Bianca Maria Felletti Maj. "Museo Nazionale Romano I Rittratti" (Rome 1953), cat.no. 299, p. 150.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Gallery Serodine 1980's; Published in "The Muse's Song: Selections of Ancient Art." Fortuna Fine Arts, Ltd., 2008, fig. 31. Exhibited by Cahn AG, Switzerland, 2016-2019 including Tefaaf Maastricht, Netherlands 2017; Frieze Masters, London 2017; La Biennale, Paris 2018.

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#147189
Condition Report: Expected surface wear commensurate with age and some losses to peripheries of nose, ears, brow line, bangs, neck line, and other high-pointed areas as shown. Deposits grace the surface.