1st century AD. A marble head of a boy with neutral expression and thick eyelids, the hairstyle typical of the Julio-Claudian period; head with realistic hairstyle, with the hair divided into two strands branching off in the middle of the forehead; still with Hellenistic traits, it is however solidly Roman and compares with portraits of children of the Julio-Claudian age; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Felletti Maj, B.M., Museo Nazionale Romano, I Ritratti, Roma, 1953; Bianchi Bandinelli, R., L'arte Romana nel centro del potere, dalle origini alla fine del II secolo d.C., Roma, 1969; Scrinari, V.S.M., Sculture Romane di Aquileia, Roma, 1972; Fittschen K., Zanker P., Katalog der römischen Porträts in den Capitolinischen Museen und den anderen kommunalen Sammlungen der Stadt Rom. Bd. I. Kaiser- und Prinzenbildnisse, Mainz am Rhein, 1985; Brizzolara, A.M., Le sculture del Museo Civico Archeologico di Bologna, La collezione Marsili, Comune di Bologna, Bologna, 1986; Agnoli, N., Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Palestrina, Le sculture, Roma, 2002; Boschung, Gens Augusta, Untersuchungen zu Aufstellung, Wirkung und Bedeutung der Statuengruppen des julisch-claudischen Kaiserhauses, Mainz am Rhein, 2002; Gagarin, M., Fantham, E., The Oxford Enciclopedy of Ancient Greece and Romem volume I, Oxford, 2010; Kolega, M., 'Problems in Dating Portraits from the Julio- Claudian Period in Liburnia // XII Me?unarodni kolokvij o rimskoj provincijalnoj umjetnosti. Datiranje kamenih spomenika i kriteriji za odre?ivanje kronologije, Pula, 23-28. V. 2011; Koncani Uha? I. (ur.) Pula, Arheološki muzej Istre, 2014, pp.87-94; similar portraits can be found in Aquileia (Scrinari, 1972, cat.222, p.74), Roma (Felletti Maj, 1953, no.137); other analogies can be found in the Capitolini Musei in Rome: a portrait of a young prince (Marcellus?) from Augustus’ period (Fittschen – Zanker, 1985, pp.19-21, no.19, pls.19, 21, 22); a head of a young man in Bologna (Brizzolara,1986, pp.112-113, no.54, pls.110-111), a portrait of Emperor Claudius (Boschung, 2002, p.26, no.29, pls.17,2; 18,4) and particularly of the young Nero (Boschung, 2002, pls.19, I, 3; 20,1) from the dynastic group in Veleia. 13.8 kg, 37.5cm including stand (14 3/4"). Property of an English gentleman; formerly in the private collection of A L, acquired London 1996; accompanied by an archaeological expertise written by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato, and this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10135-136709. This head represents a young man with delicate features and an absorbed expression; the contours of the face, the soft surface, modulated in delicate passages of light and shadow emphasises the bony structure of the face, concentrating all the expressive intensity on the eyes and on the softly ajar fleshy mouth. The hair, composed of short, thick and wavy locks, comes off the forehead and temples, highlighting the face. The piece is finely executed, although it betrays the work of a possible provincial workshop. Fine condition. An impressive Julio-Claudian head. [A video of this lot is available to view on Timeline Auctions website.]
