Roman
A Roman marble head of Venus, circa 1st - 2nd century AD
Marble
Height: 23 cm
Further images
With youthful idealising features, the goddess's head is turned slightly to her left. Her wavy centrally-parted hair is brought back into a low chignon (now missing) at the back, with...
With youthful idealising features, the goddess's head is turned slightly to her left. Her wavy centrally-parted hair is brought back into a low chignon (now missing) at the back, with tresses pulled over the crown and tied in a top-knot. Her oval face is enhanced by delicate features and lidded eyes.
Provenance
Pierre, Claude & Jeanine Vérité Collection, France, 1930 - 1980. The Vérité family were dealers of primitive art and archaeologyLiterature
The position of the goddess’s head, her hairstyle, and her gaze find close similarity with the head of the Capitoline Venus. The type is named after a Roman marble statue of the goddess, now in the Capitoline Museum, Rome. The original of this type is thought to date to 3rd-2nd century BC Asia Minor. Cf. M. Bieber, The Sculpture of the Hellenistic Age, New York, 1955, p.20.