Nero at “Uffizi”
Some scholars doubt the authenticity of this portrait. It shows clearly Nero, but the elongated profile and the head does not have the massive structure of his known portraits.
The lack of beard qualifies this sculpture as a youthful portrait. The two opposing hair strands sculpted between the forehead and left temple, are a detail recalling the young Nero’s iconography: portrait of Nero housed at Palazzo Massimo in Rome.
This detail means that the sculptor had a reference model for this copy.
Summarizing, this head could be a copy of a lost original portrait belonging to the group stylistically classified as "Palatino".
Source: Mansuelli G.A., “Galleria degli Uffizi. Le sculture”, Roma.
Marble portrait
Approx. half 1st century AD
Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi
Nero at “Uffizi”
Some scholars doubt the authenticity of this portrait. It shows clearly Nero, but the elongated profile and the head does not have the massive structure of his known portraits.
The lack of beard qualifies this sculpture as a youthful portrait. The two opposing hair strands sculpted between the forehead and left temple, are a detail recalling the young Nero’s iconography: portrait of Nero housed at Palazzo Massimo in Rome.
This detail means that the sculptor had a reference model for this copy.
Summarizing, this head could be a copy of a lost original portrait belonging to the group stylistically classified as "Palatino".
Source: Mansuelli G.A., “Galleria degli Uffizi. Le sculture”, Roma.
Marble portrait
Approx. half 1st century AD
Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi