Lot 35
Roman, Imperial period, ca. 2nd century CE. A graceful marble portrait head of Venus, Roman goddess of love and beauty, delicately carved during the height of the Imperial period. This elegant fragment retains the sensuous, idealized features associated with Venus in Roman art - full lips, smooth cheeks, and a straight nose flanked by deeply set almond eyes. Her hair, a cascade of stylized waves, is parted centrally and drawn back from the face in classical fashion, suggesting an influence from earlier Greek models of Aphrodite, such as those by Praxiteles and Lysippos. The marble exhibits a warm, time-softened patina, with traces of ear curls and careful attention to the structure of the head. Likely part of a full-figure statue or bust, the head was sculpted in the round and originally meant to be viewed from multiple angles - suggesting display in a domestic or garden setting. Size: 3.5" L x 4.3" W x 4.9" H (8.9 cm x 10.9 cm x 12.4 cm); 8.5" H (21.6 cm) on included custom stand.
Venus, as both divine and imperial symbol, was central to Roman political and religious identity. Her image adorned temples, homes, and civic monuments across the empire. This sculpture, with its refined workmanship and classical proportions, would have served as a visual embodiment of Roman ideals of beauty, harmony, and divine favor. Its fragmentary state only enhances its poetic presence - a remnant of Rome's vision of eternal youth, set in stone.
Provenance: private Boca Raton, Florida, USA collection acquired from Baidun Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel in January 2012
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#194781
- Condition: Fragment of a larger piece with losses to hair on proper right and chipping to neck and tip of nose. Weathering to surface commensurate with age as shown. Otherwise, nice remaining detail.
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