Marble head of a deity wearing a Dionysiac fillet

            Copy of a Greek work of the 2nd century BCE.

Although the back and neck are sheared away, the remaining surface of this head is in exceptionally good condition, retaining red pigment on the eyes, lips and fillet, and traces of gilding in the hair. Other Roman copies of this work are known, as well as an extremely fine marble head found in 1886 on the south slope of the Athenian Acropolis, and now in the National Museum, which most scholars have considered to be the Greek original. There, the head is rotated and tilted upward to its right, creating an expression of pathos. Strut-like projections on the right side of both the Athens marble and this copy may be the remains of fingers on the right hand raised to the cheek. The fillet worn across the forehead is an attribute of Dionysos. The work may represent the god of wine himself, or his consort Ariadne.

The carving techniques and finishes of the white marble enhanced the applied color. Finished with a rasp, or file, the fillet and hair have a rough surface that helped pigment and gilding adhere. In the hair, yellow ocher served as a preparatory layer for gold leaf, then red ocher was added to indicate depth and to define individual strands. In contrast, precise oarving and fine polishing characterize the face. Red ocher, likely an underpainting, delineates the irises, eyebrows, eyelashes, and mouth. While color was not identified on the flesh, these areas were likely painted as well.

For Roman patrons, the replica of a Greek statue evoked a oultured past. Its opulent appearance, with gilded hair, brilliant polyohromy, and gleaming marble, likely references costly chryselephantine (gold and ivory) soulpture used for oult images of gods. Its Dionysian associations with the theater and pleasure would have complemented its Roman setting. Probably displayed in a villa, garden, or bath, the colorful head would have heightened the atmosphere of leisure and entertainment that typified those Roman spaces. (polychromy testing and info by Mark Abbe)

Roman, Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian
ca. 14–68 CE

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1992.11.66)

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Taken on: July 4, 2022

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marble

portrait

Ariadne

Dionysiac

Dionysian

fillet

gilding

gilded

polychrome

polychromy

Roman

Greek

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Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, 9mm, ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Lens:	iPhone 13 Pro Max back triple camera 9mm f/2.8
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	9mm
ISO:	250
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	15.5
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