Fragment of a Portrait Statue of a Man, Perhaps a Roman Emperor
late 1st-early 2nd century
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
119.3 × 58.4 × 27.9 cm (47 × 23 × 11 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
207740
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This fragmentary statue depicts a man in full military regalia. He wears body armor (called a cuirass) that imitates the torso’s musculature, the front side of which is adorned with figural motifs intended to ward off evil. Specific motifs on the front, including the Gorgon’s head below the neck and the lion-griffins flanking an incense burner in the center, also appear on some portraits of Emperor Trajan (reigned 98–117), who expanded the empire to its greatest geographic area through successf...
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...