Portrait Bust of Antinous as Osiris

130-138, with 21st–century English restorations

Roman

Antinous (about 111–130), the young lover of Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–38), drowned in the Nile River in the year 130 while they were on an imperial tour of Egypt. Devastated by the untimely death, Hadrian founded a city in his honor, Antinoupolis, located on the east bank of the Nile, and pronounced him a god. Worship of Antinous spread, and over time portraits of him were produced throughout the Roman Empire.

In this depiction, Antinous wears the traditional headdress of an Egyptian pharaoh known as a nemes. This regalia identifies him with Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld, who drowned in the Nile and was reborn from its waters.

Status: On View, Gallery 152
Department: Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture: Ancient Roman
Title: Portrait Bust of Antinous as Osiris
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 130 CE–138 CE
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: Including socle: 94 × 68.6 × 47 cm (37 1/16 × 27 1/16 × 18 9/16 in.); 94 × 68.6 × 47 cm (37 × 27 × 18 1/2 in.)
Credit Line: Anonymous loan
Reference Number: Obj: 230470
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