About This Artwork

Roman

Portrait of Emperor Hadrian, 2nd century A.D.

Marble
36 x 27.5 x 27.3 cm (14 1/4 x 10 7/8 x 10 3/4 in.)
Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund, 1979.350

Hadrian (A.D. 76-138) was the first Roman emperor to wear a beard, which is shown closely cropped here, in contrast to the voluptuous mass of deeply carved curls framing his face. This sculpture also features an innovative trend in Roman portraiture—the artist carefully sculpted the iris and pupils of the eyes, rather than rendering them in paint as was typically done.