Portrait of a Roman woman

Summary

The bust is made of white marble with a yellowish-brown patina. Frederik Poulsen noted in his catalogue from 1951 (Poulsen 1951), that the surface was weathered and polished, and that the colour in the eyes was still visible to the naked eye.

Description of object

The back of the portrait is roughly carved. The head must have originally worn a wig of stucco. A beautifully modelled edge above the front hair indicates that the crown and the back of the head have been covered by a veil. The elaboration of the neck suggests that the head was originally inserted in a statue.

This young woman possesses very beautiful, classical features. A veil, which originally covered the back of the head, permitted only the rolled-up hair over the forehead and around the temples to be seen.

Choice of methods

Visual examination

• Macroscopic

Bibliography

F. Poulsen (1951), Catalogue of Ancient Sculpture in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, cat. no. 772.

F. Johansen (1994), Catalogue. Roman Portraits III. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, cat. no. 76.