The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 24, 2024
Head of a Bearded Man
c. 125 CE
Location: 103 Roman
Did You Know?
This head was probably originally displayed against a wall or in a niche.Description
This small-scale portrait depicts a bearded man turned toward his left. His close-cropped hair is combed forward in artful waves, echoed in his short beard. While parts of the chest and shoulders have been lost, the projecting element underneath suggests this portrait was intended as a bust. Beards were uncommon in Rome until the emperor Hadrian (r. 117–38 CE) popularized them during his reign. This man’s grooming is so similar to the emperor’s that he was first thought to be Hadrian; however, the face is too angular. Wealthy and noble Romans would often depict themselves with the same styles as the imperial family.- "Three Greek and Roman Heads." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 11, no. 9 (November 1924): 181-182. Mentioned: p. 181-182; Reproduced: p. 178 www.jstor.orgBieber, Margarete, "Roman Sculpture in the Cleveland Museum of Art" Art in America. Vol. 32, No. 2: April, 1944. pp. 65-83 Reproduced Fig. 6
- {{cite web|title=Head of a Bearded Man|url=false|author=|year=c. 125 CE|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1924.535