Roman head, 1st century AD.

Roman head, 1st century AD.
Marble.
Measurements: 11,5 x 8 x 12 cm.

This female head, sculpted in marble, is a remarkable example of private Roman portraiture from the 1st century AD, probably from the Julio-Claudian period (27 BC - 68 AD). Its small dimensions (11.5 cm high) suggest that it was part of a statuette intended for a domestic setting - possibly for a lararium (family altar) - or for a funerary relief of a niche or stele.

The work evidences a masterful synthesis between the classicist idealism inherited from 5th century B.C. Greece and the verism characteristic of Roman portraiture. The face presents an oval and balanced structure, with serene and proportioned features that evoke an ethos of calm and dignity. The superciliary arches are soft, the nose is straight, and the small, full-lipped but closed mouth conveys a sense of restraint and pudicitia (modesty, a highly valued feminine virtue). The eyes, almond-shaped and with sharply defined eyelids, lack incision in the iris and pupil, a practice characteristic of the sculpture of this period that would be abandoned from the time of Hadrian (second century AD). This absence gives the gaze an introspective and timeless quality.

Despite the strong idealizing imprint, the sculptor has captured individualized features that prevent it from being a generic face. A subtle modeling is perceived in the cheeks and chin that suggests a physiognomic portrait, that is, the representation of a specific person. This fusion of idealization and realism was common in portraits of the aristocracy, who sought to project both their status and adherence to imperial moral values as well as their personal identity.

The hairstyle is the most eloquent element for its dating. The woman wears her hair combed with a central parting that divides it into two sections. On each side, thick, sinuous waves are combed backwards, covering the top of the ears before being gathered in a low bun at the nape of the neck (now lost).

This style is a sober and elegant variant of the fashions imposed by the women of the Julio-Claudian imperial house, such as Livia, Antonia the Younger or Agrippina the Elder. The women of the Roman elite emulated the hairstyles of the imperial family as a sign of loyalty and status. The relative simplicity of these waves, compared to the elaborate curls and ringlets of the later Flavian dynasty, places the piece securely in the first half to mid-first century AD.