Roman Julio-Claudian Period Marble Head of a Child

Roman, Julio-Claudian Period, ca. 1st century CE. A sensitively modeled head of a youth - perhaps the child Cupid (Greek counterpart Eros) - with delicate features, whose sculptor was clearly gifted with an ability to render 'living' flesh from marble. Notice how the child's tranquil visage is carefully modeled with remarkably naturalistic features - those generously lidded almond-shaped eyes, his aquiline nose, full bow-shaped lips, naturalistic ears, and soft rounded chin - crowned by a wavy coiffure with adorable ringlets nested around his left ear and tracing the nape of his neck. An enchanting depiction of a sweet boy, possibly the boy Cupid, with exquisite classicizing features that suggest it was created during the Julio-Claudian Period. Size: 5.75" H (14.6 cm); 10.25" H (26 cm) on included custom stand.

Interestingly, this is an older looking Cupid/Eros, as oftentimes he is presented with a cherubic, childlike body but the head of an older person with the hair more or less receding. This suits the Roman Empire's sensibility where we see less of the Greek or Hellenistic idealized vision and more of a rather pensive and realistic representation.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s

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#143515
Condition Report: A section from a larger statue with losses to the neck, coiffure, and other high-pointed areas as shown. Expected surface wear and weathering commensurate with age, but the facial features and nice areas of the coiffure are still vivid.