A Roman Marble Portrait Bust of an Aristocratic Woman

Julio-Claudian Period, Circa Mid 1st Century A.D.

Height 15 1/4 inches (38.7 cm).

Provenance:

Professor Elia Volpi (1858-1938), Florence, prior to 1910.

Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Objets d'Art et de Bel Ameublement Principalement du XVIIIe, 20 February 1983.

Published:

Illustrations du Catalogue des Précieuses Collections d'Objets d'Art Appartenant au Prof. Elie Volpi (Exhibition Catalogue), Florence, 1910, no. 53.

La Gazette de L'Hôtel Drouot, edition 5 (Gazette), Paris, 4 February 1983, p. 36.

B. Varkıvanç, Baki Öğün'e Armağan - Melanges offerts a Baki Öğün - CALBIS, Ankara, 2007, p. 97-108.

This portrait is strikingly attractive because of the sitter’s delicate yet exotic features and her elaborate couiffure. The sculpture was produced during a formative and highly sophisticated phase of Roman art, and one whose portraits of women are much less common, than those from later Imperial times. The preparation for a patch at the back of the head is seemingly ancient. Although she remains anonymous, given the sculpture's scale and scope, one can assume it portrays a person of note, who wished to be represented with the ideal and distinctive features of a Roman aristocrat. For a comparable portrait bust, see Agrippina MInor at the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (Acc. no. 755).

Inspected under UV light and 10x loupe. Surface with overall weathered, smoothed quality. Small drill hole at proper left chest. Other larger holes at proper right. Some areas of darker patination. Some minor chips, gouges, and scratches not affecting the overall stability. Notable loss to proper right braid tail. Some encrustations and deposits. Bust is affixed to modern stand which has some chips and losses. Areas of possible restoration including nose and mouth region which fluoresce under UV light. Overall in fine and attractive condition. See additional images.

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Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

[email protected]312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

Antiquities & Ancient Art

A Roman Marble Portrait Bust of an Aristocratic Woman

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