Portrait of a Bearded Man

Broken from a statue or bust, this portrait head of a mature bearded man probably depicts a wealthy private individual. Several stylistic features of the portrait suggest that it may have been sculpted during the reign of the emperor Caracalla, who ruled from A.D. 211 to 217. The contrast of the smoothly polished skin with the beard and hair, which are deeply drilled creating a pattern of light and shadow, is characteristic of sculpture carved during the Severan dynasty. The careful articulation of the locks of hair, the deeply drilled, crescent-shaped pupils placed high in the irises of the eyes, and the sense of moving facial muscles underneath the skin are all found in portraits of the early 200s. The hauntingly sad, resigned expression on the man's face is a frequent feature of Roman sculpture of this period, perhaps reflecting the tension and uncertainty created by the brutal reign of Caracalla.