Portrait bust of Sophocles on a herm (known as Solon)
Pentelic marble.
The head and the bust are of different ancient statues.
1st—2nd cent. CE, Roman work. Inv. No. 377.Florence, Uffizi GalleryPhoto by Ilya Shurygin

Portrait bust of Sophocles on a herm (known as Solon).

Pentelic marble.
The head and the bust are of different ancient statues.
1st—2nd cent. CE, Roman work.
Inv. No. 377.

Florence, Uffizi Gallery
(Firenze, Galleria degli Uffizi).

Origin:
Recorded in the Uffizi from 1753.
Description:

Italiano Ritratto di Sofocle su erma (cosiddetto Solone)

I—II secolo d. C.
Marmo pentelico.
Inv. 1914 n. 377.
Provenienza: documentata in Galleria dal 1753.

Impostata su di un busto antico ma non pertinente, sul quale un’iscrizione probabilmente antica riporta il nome di “Solone il legislatore”, la testa è invece da identificare in una replica del ritratto del tragediografo Sofocle (496—406 a. C). La conformazione delle ciocche della barba bipartita e della capigliatura, cinta da una fascia sottile, consentono di ricollegare il ritratto al tipo detto “Lateranense”, il cui archetipo è da riconoscere nella statua dedicata da Licurgo nel teatro di Dioniso ad Atene intorno al 330 a. C.

English Portrait bust of Sophocles on a Herm (known as Solon)

1st—2nd cent. AD.
Pentelic marble.
Inv. 1914 n. 377.
Provenance: recorded in the Uffizi from 1753.

Set on an ancient bust (though not germane to the head) on which an inscription, probably ancient, claims that it is a portrait of “Solon the lawgiver”, this head may in fact be identified as a copy of the portrait of the playwright Sophocles (496—406 BC). The configuration of the forked beard and the thin band around the hair allow us to associate this portrait with the so-called “Lateran type”, the archetype of which may be identified as a statue which Lycurgus dedicated to the playwright in the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens in around 330 BC.

Credits:
© 2019. Photo: Ilya Shurygin.
Info: the museum annotation.
THE GALLERY OF ANCIENT ART
Keywords: epigraphia epigraphy inscription iscrizione epigrafia epigraphik epigrafik inschrift épigraphie ελληνική greek griechische grecque honorary onoraria ehreninschrift honorifique απεικόνιση portrait portraiture ritratto ritrattistica porträtmalerei porträt φιγούρα figures greeks figura greca figure greche greco greci figur figuren grieche griechen grecques grec grecs ποιητής σόλων solon poet statesman poeta politico solone dichter staatsmann poète politicien σοφοκλῆς σοφοκλής sophocles sophokles sofocle sophocle of a man male maschile uomo männliches mann masculin un homme porträtbüste porträtherme porträt-herme portraitkopf γλυπτική sculptura sculpture sculptural scultura skulptur ρωμαϊκό roman romana romano romani römisch römische römisches römischen römischer romain romaine romains romaines προτομή bust busto büste buste herma herm term erma herme hermès κεφάλι κεφαλή head testa kopf tête marmor pentelicum pentelic marble marmo pentelico pentelischer marbre pentelique πεντελικό μάρμαρο πεντελικὴ μάρμαρος barba barbatum beard bearded barbuto bart bärtiger barbe barbu γενειάδα γενειοφόρος άνθρωπος taenia tainia band ribbon fillet tenia tänie binden tænia ténia ταινία lateran type tipo lateranense inv no 377
History of Ancient Rome