Marble statue of a member of the imperial family

Unknown

27 BCE–68 CE · Marble · Greek and Roman Art

This statue and the similar work, 2003.407.9 were probably part of a statuary group portraying and honoring members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty that ruled Rome from the time of Augustus to that of Nero. The stance of these partially nude figures brings to mind the canonic works of Polykleitos, one of the most famous Greek sculptors of the fifth century B.C., and was almost certainly intended to give a heroizing aura to the statues. It has been argued that the draping of the mantle around the hips and over the arm was a specific iconographic indication that the individual being honored was already deceased.

Artist

Unknown

Date

27 BCE–68 CE

Medium

Marble

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Bequest of Bill Blass, 2002