Fragment of a Portrait Statue of a Man
2nd century
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
136.8 × 59.7 × 49.5 cm (53 7/8 × 23 1/2 × 19 1/2 in.) (with base)
Classification
marble
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
41506
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Beginning in the 1st century A.D., it became increasingly popular among well-to-do Roman men to represent oneself in the guise of a Greek mythological hero. Such portraits, which typically paired a muscular, youthful body with a more mature, realistic portrait head, were intended to equate the individual’s achievements and admirable qualities with those of the favored hero. This statue likely alluded to the Greek hero Diomedes, who played a pivotal role in the Trojan War by stealing the Palladiu...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...