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Bronze portrait bust of a man

ca. 50 BCE–54 CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 164
For the Romans, bronze was the material par excellence for honorific portraits of important individuals and was valued for its ability to produce the closest possible fidelity to nature. While the identity of this man is unknown today, the very high quality of this portrait, with its sensitively modeled features and expensive inlaid eyes of ivory, signifies his prominence in ancient Roman society.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bronze portrait bust of a man
  • Period: Late Republican or Early Imperial
  • Date: ca. 50 BCE–54 CE
  • Culture: Roman
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 15 in. (38.1 cm)
  • Classification: Bronzes
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
  • Object Number: 14.40.696
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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