Herod Atticus, front view.
Title
Herod Atticus , front view .
Date
160 [CE]?
Cultural Context
Ancient Roman Italian European Western European
Style/Period
Roman (ancient Italian style) Imperial (Roman) Antonine
Subject
Sculpture Effigies Portraits Men Philosophers People associated with education & communication Clothing & dress Beards Mustaches
Description
"This effigy of the august man of letters was inspired by portraits of Greek philosophers from the fourth and third centuries B.C. , but it remains true to the art of the Antonine portrait in its attempts to convey sensitivity and individuality . The deeply meditative , modest position of the head , which is slightly tilted and turned to the right , reproduces that of the Demosthenes that could be seen on the Athenian Agora in the second century A.D . […] The model wears a tunic glimpsed beneath the himation draped over his shoulders . Despite the broken nose and spall above the left eyebrow , the face has not lost any of its vivacity . Accentuated by prominent cheekbones and wrinkles etched across the forehead , the bust's pronounced features betray its sponsor's age . Elongated eyes look out from beneath the protruding arch of the eyebrows . The iris is simply engraved , while the pupil is hollowed with a drill and partially covered by the upper eyelid . The treatment of the hair and the beard along the jaw line combine naturalism with a light touch in the rendering of the wavy curls and is reminiscent of portraits of the classical era . […] From this point of view , the portrait of Herod Atticus is significantly different from contemporary imperial models , including those of the same provenance attributed to the same sculptor . This difference in style can easily be ascribed to the social status of the model , which would allow the sculptor more or less room for personal expression . In this case , the bust's formal qualities correspond to the grandeur of the man depicted. " (Excerpt from catalogue entry by Cecile Giroire , p . 194) . Discovered by Fauvel in a tomb in Probalinthos (Attica , Greece) , 1789 . Purchased in 1865 , formerly in the Choiseul collection and the Pourtalès collection (1814-65) (MA 1164-INV . NIII 2536) . Restorers : P . Jallet and A. Liégey , 2006 .
Material
Marble (rock) Rock Stone (rock)
Measurements
H: 24 3/4 in (63 cm)
Technique
Sculpting Carving (processes)
Work Type
Sculpture Statues Portraits Busts
Repository
Musee du Louvre (Paris, France)
Source
Giroire, Cecile, and Daniel Roger. Roman Art from the Louvre. New York: American Federation of Arts in assoc. with Hudson Hills Press, 2007. (p.[195], cat.125).
Rights
Photographs of the works in the exhibition reproduced in Giroire courtesy: Copyright © 2007 Musee du Louvre and the American Federation of Arts/Anne Chauvet, Daniel Lebee, and Carine De Ambrosis.
Digital Publisher
University of Louisville Department of Fine Arts/Allen R. Hite Art Institute Visual Resources Center
Format
image/jpeg
Digital File Name
VRC 762-26.jpg
Rating
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