Portrait bust of a Roman matron
Bronze.20—50 CE.
H. 24.1 cm. Inv. No. 52.11.6.New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Portrait bust of a Roman matron.
Bronze.
20—50 CE.
H. 24.1 cm.
20—50 CE.
H. 24.1 cm.
Inv. No. 52.11.6.
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Origin:
Said to have been found in Rimini by 1902 (information from Antoine Héron de Villefosse published in Toutain 1913, p. 85).
By 1908 and until 1928, with Edward P. Warren, Lewes House, Lewes, UK.
1928—1952, with H. Asa Thomas, inherited as part of the E. P. Warren estate at the Lewes House, Lewes, UK.
Acquired in 1952, purchased from H. Asa Thomas (Edith Perry Chapman Fund).
By 1908 and until 1928, with Edward P. Warren, Lewes House, Lewes, UK.
1928—
Acquired in 1952, purchased from H. Asa Thomas (Edith Perry Chapman Fund).
Description:
This bust of a private individual has often been taken to represent one of the emperor Augustus’s descendants, notably his granddaughter Agrippina the Elder, whose hairstyle is closely imitated here. It provides a good illustration of the way in which official images of the emperor and his family influenced Roman private portraits. The bust may have been a dedication, possibly set up in a shrine within the family house.
Literature:
Alexander, Christine. 1953. “A Portrait of Livia”. Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11(6): pp. 168—171.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1987. Greece and Rome. no. 74, p. 101, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Wood, Susan. 1988. “Memoriae Agrippinae: Agrippina the Elder in Julio-Claudian Art and Propaganda”. American Journal of Archaeology, 92(3): pp. 414, 416—417 n. 22, fig. 5.
Bartman, Elizabeth and Cambridge University Press. 1999. Portraits of Livia: Imaging the Imperial Woman in Augustan Rome. p. 224 n. 2, Cambridge.
Milleker, Elizabeth J. 2000. The Year One: Art of the Ancient World East and West no. 37, pp. 55, 206, New York and New Haven: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Dahmen, Karsten. 2001. Untersuchungen zu Form und Funktion kleinformatiger Porträts der römischen Kaiserzeit. no. 164, p. 187, pl. 164, Münster: Scriptorium.
Pollini, John. 2002. Gallo-Roman Bronzes and the Process of Romanization: The Cobanus Hoard. pp. 1788 n. 18, 19—20 n. 28, 23 n. 50, figs. 72—73, Leiden: Brill.
Montebelli, Cristina Ravara. 2004. “Un Busto Riminese di Agrippina Minore al Metropolitan Museum di New York”. L’Arco pp. 46—49.
Picón, Carlos A. 2007. Art of the Classical World in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Greece, Cyprus, Etruria, Rome. no. 415, pp. 359, 487, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Zanker, Paul. 2016. Roman Portraits: Sculptures in Stone and Bronze in the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. no. 71, pp. 190, 197—198, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1987. Greece and Rome. no. 74, p. 101, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Wood, Susan. 1988. “Memoriae Agrippinae: Agrippina the Elder in Julio-Claudian Art and Propaganda”. American Journal of Archaeology, 92(3): pp. 414, 416—
Bartman, Elizabeth and Cambridge University Press. 1999. Portraits of Livia: Imaging the Imperial Woman in Augustan Rome. p. 224 n. 2, Cambridge.
Milleker, Elizabeth J. 2000. The Year One: Art of the Ancient World East and West no. 37, pp. 55, 206, New York and New Haven: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Dahmen, Karsten. 2001. Untersuchungen zu Form und Funktion kleinformatiger Porträts der römischen Kaiserzeit. no. 164, p. 187, pl. 164, Münster: Scriptorium.
Pollini, John. 2002. Gallo-Roman Bronzes and the Process of Romanization: The Cobanus Hoard. pp. 1788 n. 18, 19—
Montebelli, Cristina Ravara. 2004. “Un Busto Riminese di Agrippina Minore al Metropolitan Museum di New York”. L’Arco pp. 46—
Picón, Carlos A. 2007. Art of the Classical World in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Greece, Cyprus, Etruria, Rome. no. 415, pp. 359, 487, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Zanker, Paul. 2016. Roman Portraits: Sculptures in Stone and Bronze in the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. no. 71, pp. 190, 197—
Credits:
(cc) 2021. Photo, text: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0 1.0).
Keywords: απεικόνιση portrait portraiture ritratto ritrattistica porträtmalerei porträt of a woman female femminile donna weibliches frau de femme roman romana römisches romain άγνωστη γυναίκα unidentify unknown ignota sconosciuta unbekannte weiblich inconnu αυτοκρατορικό imperial imperiale kaiserliches impérial ιουλιο-κλαυδιανή δυναστεία iulio-claudia iulii-claudii julii-claudii the julio-claudian dynasty dinastia giulio-claudia julisch-claudische dynastie famille julio-claudienne julio-claudiens βιψανία αγριππίνα η πρεσβύτερη vipsania agrippina maior senior elder maggiore die ältere agrippine l’aînée γλυπτική sculptura sculpture sculptural scultura skulptur ρωμαϊκό romano romani römisch römische römischen römischer romaine romains romaines χάλκινο bronze bronzo bronzeo bronzen προτομή bust busto büste buste hairdo hairstyle pettinatura acconciatura weibliche frisur coiffure féminine θηλυκό χτένισμα frizzle curl arricciamento arricciolamento ricciolo riccio krause ringel frisure frisottis acanthus leaf leaves foglia foglie di acanto akanthusblatt akanthusblätter feuille feuilles d’acanthe acantus noble lady nobile edle matrone matrona from rimini edward p warren inv no 52 11 6
