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Unknown Maker, Roman

Portrait of a Boy as Eros

Description

Maker

Unknown Maker, Roman

Culture

Roman

Title

Portrait of a Boy as Eros

Period

Hellenistic

Year

late 1st/2nd century CE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

island marble

Geography

Archaeological Site: Italy

Dimensions

17.8 x 15.2 x 16.8 cm (7 x 6 x 6 5/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

03.009

Type

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Weiss Ancient Art Gallery
Sep 22, 2010
Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010
Rethinking the Romans
New Views of Ancient Sculpture
Apr 06, 2001 – Jan 02, 2009

Label copy

For many years, this piece was thought to represent Eros. Its distinctive curly hairstyle, with braid and topknot, is common to depictions of youthful mythological figures; yet the work’s extremely distinctive facial features, including the supple cheeks, dimple, protruding upper lip and receding chin, suggest instead that it was a portrait. The RISD head may be a blend of the two: a portrait with personalized features styled into an overall type of mythical figure. Such a practice is known for both adults and children, often in a funerary context, especially in the second and third centuries AD. In these, the deceased are represented with a portrait head and the attributes of a deity in order to suggest that he possessed qualities particular to the deity, or, especially in the case of children, that the deceased would continue to be under the protection of that deity in the afterlife.

Related Publications

Related Publications

Use & Feedback

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Roman
Portrait of a Boy as Eros, late 1st/2nd century CE
Marble
17.8 x 15.2 x 16.8 cm (7 x 6 x 6 5/8 inches)
Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke 03.009

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