 |
Portrait
of a Roman |
This bronze head of a man is a masterpiece of the art of portraiture. It is one of the first works to reveal a synthesis of an excellent rendering of external appearance with a view into the inner workings of the soul. In this portrait we see a union of two Classical traditions: Roman Verism, i.e. interest in the individual physical appearance of a man, and the Hellenistic, placing emphasis on heightened emotions and strong passions, disrupting Classical harmony.
The
young man with the handsome, manly face is shown in a moment of deep sorrow. We
learn this from the beard which was, according to Roman habit, a sign of mourning,
but more importantly through plastic means: the head leans slightly on the shoulder,
thus depriving the sculpture of rigid immobility, demanding that it be seen from
different points of view; sorrowful lines run down from the nostrils, repeating
the line of the nose; the corners of the mouth droop slightly; between the rumpled
eyebrows are wrinkles which indicate deep thought. Emotion and the play of the
passions are hinted at even within this severe, precisely constructed bust, while
the play of light on the surface of the metal emphasizes sculptural form. An element
of stylisation in the hair and the curls of the beard introduces a somewhat decorative
element.