On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Marble head of a figure
Technical analysis: Multiband imaging, optical microscopy
This fine-grained (maximum grain size ≈ 1.5 mm) white marble head and most of the neck are all that survive from a figure that would been approximately 70 cm high. There is a repair through the top of the neck, as well as painted fills on the top corners of the head and over the gouge on the back of the head. The lyre-shaped head, tilted back, has a slightly rounded crown and chin. A long, thin, aquiline nose in relief is well-centered at the brow. The incised groove that distinguishes the chin from the neck continues around the back to form a v-shaped nape. Close inspection of the differential weathering of calcite crystals on the head reveals traces of two almond-shaped eyes on the face with the lower part of a large, circular pupil in the left eye, and traces of a headdress or gathered hair at the back.
Sandy MacGillivray, Dorothy Abramitis, Federico Carò and Elizabeth Hendrix
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.