Bronze portrait bust of a man

Unknown

ca. 50 BCE–54 CE · Bronze · Greek and Roman Art

For the Romans, bronze was the material par excellence for honorific portraits of important individuals and was valued for its ability to produce the closest possible fidelity to nature. While the identity of this man is unknown today, the very high quality of this portrait, with its sensitively modeled features and expensive inlaid eyes of ivory, signifies his prominence in ancient Roman society.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 50 BCE–54 CE

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913