Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Marble head of a philosopher

1st or 2nd century CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 162
Copy of a Greek statue of the last quarter of the 3rd century B.C.

In spite of its battered condition, the portrait conveys the personality of a great thinker. There are striking similarities between this head and portraits of Aristotle (384–322 B.C.), the tutor of Alexander the Great and one of the most important intellects of the fourth century B.C., but the identity of this man remains unknown. The existence of a second head of the same type in the National Archaeological Museum in Chieti, Italy, likely indicates that a well-known person is represented.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Marble head of a philosopher
  • Period: Imperial
  • Date: 1st or 2nd century CE
  • Culture: Roman
  • Medium: Marble, Pentelic
  • Dimensions: H. 12 13/16 in. (32.5 cm)
  • Classification: Stone Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Funds from various donors, 1926
  • Object Number: 26.269
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

Audio

Cover Image for 1268. Marble Head of a Philosopher

1268. Marble Head of a Philosopher

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Marble statue of Eirene (the personification of peace), Kephisodotos, Marble, Pentelic ?, Roman
Marble statue of Eirene (the personification of peace)
Roman copy of Greek original by Kephisodotos
ca. 14–68 CE
Marble portrait bust of the emperor Gaius, known as Caligula, Marble, Roman
Marble portrait bust of the emperor Gaius, known as Caligula
Roman
37–41 CE
Marble head and torso of Athena, Marble, Pentelic, Roman
Marble head and torso of Athena
Roman
1st–2nd century CE
Bronze statue of an aristocratic boy, Bronze, Roman
Bronze statue of an aristocratic boy
Roman
27 BCE–14 CE
Marble statue of a wounded Amazon, Marble, Roman
Marble statue of a wounded Amazon
Roman
1st–2nd century CE

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.