Hadrian’s portrait in Venice - II
The man here portrayed is, certainly, the emperor Hadrian. This portrait does not have precise iconographic parallels with other Hadrian's coeval sculptures and, therefore, its authenticity has been questioned by some scholars. The artist's effort to avoid any idealization is evident. He prefers the realistic treatment of his facial features highlighting the character and expression of Hadrian depicted in his mature age, as the wrinkles around the eyes and the slightly sunken cheeks testify. This treatment differs from the classicizing style which had found great consensus in the pro-Hellenic circles close to the emperor, an idealizing style that characterizes many of his official portraits. The sculptural style of the hair and beard set the date of this work in the late Hadrian age or in a posthumous period near to 138 AD.
Source: “Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia”, ELECTA
Marble Roman sculpture
Height 86 cm.
1st half 2nd century AD
Collection Giovanni Grimani
Venice, National Archaeological Museum, Inv. No 125
Hadrian’s portrait in Venice - II
The man here portrayed is, certainly, the emperor Hadrian. This portrait does not have precise iconographic parallels with other Hadrian's coeval sculptures and, therefore, its authenticity has been questioned by some scholars. The artist's effort to avoid any idealization is evident. He prefers the realistic treatment of his facial features highlighting the character and expression of Hadrian depicted in his mature age, as the wrinkles around the eyes and the slightly sunken cheeks testify. This treatment differs from the classicizing style which had found great consensus in the pro-Hellenic circles close to the emperor, an idealizing style that characterizes many of his official portraits. The sculptural style of the hair and beard set the date of this work in the late Hadrian age or in a posthumous period near to 138 AD.
Source: “Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia”, ELECTA
Marble Roman sculpture
Height 86 cm.
1st half 2nd century AD
Collection Giovanni Grimani
Venice, National Archaeological Museum, Inv. No 125