Portrait of a Man in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, January 2018

Head of a man

Roman

Imperial Period

A.D. 240-270

Place of Manufacture: Italy, Lazio

Medium/Technique Marble, probably from the Greek island of Paros

Dimensions Overall: 36.8 × 22.9 × 20.3 cm (14 1/2 × 9 × 8 in.)

Credit Line Otis Norcross Fund

Accession Number58.1005

Collections: Ancient Greece and Rome

Classifications: Sculpture


Catalogue Raisonné Sculpture in Stone (MFA), no. 377; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 116 (additional published references).
DescriptionHead of a man that has been worked for insertion into a statue. The shape of the head is rectangular and the neck is broad. The hairstyle is composed of tight, flat curls – made by extensive use of the drill – that conform to the shape of the skull. The skin is wrinkle and blemish-free. There is a high polish to the flesh of the face, ears, and neck. The eyes are large and wide with thick lids. The upper eyelids are especially heavy, giving the eyes a ‘droopy’ appearance. The irises are U-shaped and the pupils are deeply drilled. The eyebrows have been lightly incised. The bridge of the nose is narrow but the tip is bulbous. The mouth is wide with full lips. The curly beard is worn short. Over the checks and under the chin, the locks have been carved in higher relief by use of the drill. Tiny struts are visible between the curls of the beard and hair. The hair on the chin, as well as that of the moustache, has been carved in shallower relief.

The ears have been damaged with sections having been broken away. A central section of the surface, concentrated around the nose and running from the hairline down through the beard on the chin, has been damaged, likely due to cleaning with acid. There is a patch of incrustation in the left temple that extends into the hair and beard as well as down the neck.

ProvenanceSaid to have been found at Isola Sacra, near Ostia [see note]. 1958, sold by Robert E. Hecht (dealer; b. 1919 - d. 2012), Hesperia Art, Philadelphia, to the MFA for $5000. (Accession Date: November 13, 1958)

NOTE: According to information provided by the dealer (May 31, 1958).

Text from: collections.mfa.org/objects/151371/head-of-a-man