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Bronze portrait bust of a Roman matron

ca. 20–50 CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 166
This bust of a private individual has often been taken to represent one of the emperor Augustus’s descendants, notably his granddaughter Agrippina the Elder, whose hairstyle is closely imitated here. It provides a good illustration of the way in which official images of the emperor and his family influenced Roman private portraits. The bust may have been a dedication, possibly set up in a shrine within the family house.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bronze portrait bust of a Roman matron
  • Period: Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian
  • Date: ca. 20–50 CE
  • Culture: Roman
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm)
  • Classification: Bronzes
  • Credit Line: Edith Perry Chapman Fund, 1952
  • Object Number: 52.11.6
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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