Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix?
Marble. Copy of the 1st century CE of an original c. 80—50 BCE. Inv. No. 1811.Copenhagen, New Carlsberg GlyptotekPhoto by Sergey Sosnovskiy

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix?

Marble. Copy of the 1st century CE of an original c. 80—50 BCE.
Inv. No. 1811.

Copenhagen, New Carlsberg Glyptotek
(København, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek).

Origin:
Acquired in 1900 through the mediation of Arndt. Around 1600, the portrait belonged to Federigo Contarini.
Description:

31. Roman.

The high forehead, the lean, furrowed cheeks, the wide mouth and the long neck with the distinct Adam’s apple are features that resemble Caesar’s. The hair protrudes upward in a lock.

Considerations regarding the neck’s formation suggest that the head stems from an armoured statue.

The head does have Caesar-like features, but Zanker (AA (1981) 357) was in doubt about actually naming the portrait "Caesar". This work belongs to a Hellenistic sculptural tradition that is closely akin to the portraits made at Delos. K. Fittschen has suggested that the portrait is Sulla (cf. G. Lahusen, Die Bildnismünzen der römischen Republik (1989) Taf. 17-25, specifically Taf. 17, 3.9.).

Original: с 80-50 B.C. Copy: 1st cent. AD.

I.N. 1811
Head.
Marble. H. 0.44.

The tip of the nose is missing. The rims of the ears are bruised. The entire surface was cleansed before the portrait came to the Glyptotek.
Acquired in 1900 for the Glyptotek, through the mediation of Arndt, from a Venetian art dealer along with the specification that, presumably, the head stems from the Palazzo Giustiniani-Recanati in Venice. Around 1600, the portrait belonged to Federigo Contarini, who was procurator in San Marco, (museum Trevisanum pl. 1).

F. Johansen
Literature:
F. Poulsen 1951, Cat. 598; V. Poulsen 1973, Cat. 30; Die Bildnisse des Augustus, München (1979) 8.5; P. Zanker, AA (1981) 357, n. 27; F. Johansen, Ancient Portraits in the J. Paul Getty Museum I (1987) 29, fig. 23a-b. K. Fittschen, AA (1991) 260, n. 10; Kockel, Porträtreliefs, (sic!)
Credits:
(сс) 2008. Photo: Sergey Sosnovskiy (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Text: museum inscription to the sculpture.
© 1994. Description: F. Johansen. Catalogue Roman Portraits, vol. I, p. 86, cat. no. 31. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, 1994.
THE GALLERY OF ANCIENT ART
Keywords: απεικόνιση portrait portraiture ritratto ritrattistica porträtmalerei porträt roman romana römisches romain γλυπτική sculptura sculpture sculptural scultura skulptur ρωμαϊκό romano romani römisch römische römischen römischer romaine romains romaines man uomo mann homme marble marmo busto maschile male bust of lucius cornelius sulla felix lucio cornelio silla sylla cornelii dictator gaius julius caesar gaio giulio cesare cäsar g108 caius iulius julio-claudian dynasty dinastia giulio-claudia julii-claudii inv no 1811
History of Ancient Rome