{"product_id":"roman-marble-head-of-a-bearded-man-roman-imperial-period-late-2nd-century-c-e","title":"Roman Marble Head of a Bearded Man.  Roman Imperial Period, Late 2nd Century C.E.","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"136\" data-end=\"362\"\u003eA powerful, life-sized, Roman Imperial marble portrait head depicting a bearded man, dating to the late 2nd century C.E., masterfully carved with the psychological intensity and naturalism characteristic of High Imperial Roman portraiture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"364\" data-end=\"841\"\u003eThe figure’s deeply drilled beard, sensitively modeled features, and contemplative expression reflect the artistic shift toward philosophical and individualized portrait types popularized during the Antonine period, when emperors and aristocratic patrons embraced the imagery of wisdom, intellect, and Stoic virtue. The sculptor’s attention to texture and facial structure demonstrates the Roman mastery of portrait realism, balancing idealization with striking human presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"843\" data-end=\"1272\"\u003eExecuted in marble and retaining the weathered surface and patina associated with antiquity, the fragment possesses the enduring gravitas of Roman commemorative sculpture. Detached from its original context and now mounted on a later granite plinth, the head is presented as a sculptural object in the Grand Tour tradition, where fragments of antiquity were appreciated for both their historical significance and aesthetic power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1274\" data-end=\"1629\"\u003eRoman portrait heads of this period often served civic, funerary, or honorific functions, commemorating individuals of status within the Empire. The late 2nd century marked a high point in Roman sculptural refinement, particularly in the treatment of hair and beards, where deeply drilled carving techniques created dramatic contrasts of light and shadow.\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #333333; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #333333; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\"\u003eClose to portraits of the Emperors Septimius Severus, Didius Julianus, and Clodius Albinus.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; color: #343a40;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Antonios Bella Casa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53344101335353,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0860\/3818\/4249\/files\/f_50160332_1780092957533_bg_processed_d6583791-26a5-4140-9a19-a18d3d941d4b.jpg?v=1780094965","url":"https:\/\/antoniosbellacasa.com\/products\/roman-marble-head-of-a-bearded-man-roman-imperial-period-late-2nd-century-c-e","provider":"Antonios Bella Casa","version":"1.0","type":"link"}