Portrait Head of Emperor Hadrian
130-138
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
36 × 27.5 × 27.3 cm (14 1/4 × 10 7/8 × 10 3/4 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
58135
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This sculpture depicts Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–38), identifiable by his luxurious curls and cropped beard. A portrait head embodied the emperor’s authority in his absence, with distinctive hairstyles and facial features that were instantly recognizable throughout the Roman Empire. Hadrian’s beard set him apart from his clean-shaven predecessors and set a trend for imperial portraits until the early 4th century.
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...