Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man
Place of OriginLebanon, Syria or Turkey
DateLate 2nd century CE (Antonine or Severan)
Dimensions12 1/4 × 7 3/4 × 8 1/2 in. (31.1 × 19.7 × 21.6 cm)
Mediumcast bronze
ClassificationSculpture
Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey with additional funds from Mr. and Mrs. Leon Levy
Object number
1986.26
On View
Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic
Collections
Published References"La chronique des arts," Gazette des Beaux-Arts, vol. 109, no. 1418, Mar. 1987. fig. 122, p. 20.
- Sculpture
The Toledo Museum of Art 1986 Annual Report, Toledo, Ohio, 1986, p. 11, ill.
Skupińska-Løvset, Ilona, “Social Aspects in the Portraiture of Syria: Introductory Remarks,” in Ancient Portraiture: Image and Message, ed. Tobias Fischer-Hansen, John Lund, and Marjatta Nielsen, Copenhagen, Museum Tusculanum Press, 1992, pp. 221–235.
Skupinska-Løvset, Ilona, Portraiture in Roman Syria: a study in social and regional differentiation within the art of portraiture, Lódz, Wydawnictwo Lódzkiego, 1999, pp. 96-98, Pl. 13, p. 95.
Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art Masterworks, Toledo, 2009, p. 90, repr. (col.).
Exhibition HistoryTampa, Tampa Museum of Art; Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art; The Fire of Hephaistos: Large Classical Bronzes from North American Collections, 1996-1997.Worcester, Worcester Art Museum; Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art; Baltimore, Baltimore Museum of Art, Antioch: the lost ancient city, 2000-2001, no. 18, p. 128, repr. (col.).
Label TextThis bronze head portrays a Roman man, likely a private individual or local official, rather than an emperor. The lifelike gaze is achieved through deep grooves in the irises and pupils, an innovation of the Antonine period (ca. 140–150 CE). The finely incised hair and beard reflect the exceptional skill of provincial Roman artists, aligning this work with portraiture traditions from the Eastern Empire. While this head was purchased from a dealer based in Beirut, Lebanon, and may originate there, its style and craftsmanship also align closely with bronze portraiture from modern-day Syria and Turkey. .
mid-2nd to early 3rd century CE (Severan?)
Perhaps 2nd century
Late 19th century
Second half of the 1st century CE
Perhaps late first or second century
Probably early third century
Probably first half of the first century
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