Portrait Bust of a Woman - Ancient Roman

Purchased with funds provided by The Antiquarian Society in honor of Ian Wardropper, the Classical Art Society, Mr. and Mrs. Isak V. Gerson, James and Bonnie Pritchard, and Mrs. Hugo Sonnenschein; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bro Fund; Katherine K. Adler, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander in honor of Ian Wardropper, David Earle III, William A. and Renda H. Lederer Family, Chester D. Tripp, and Jane B. Tripp endowments

European Art Sculpture

"Portrait Bust of a Woman" by Ancient Roman (Mid–2nd century) Marble.

Commentary

"Portrait Bust of a Woman" by Ancient Roman (Mid–2nd century) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Because the work is spatial, changes in viewpoint and light can noticeably alter its emotio nal impact. Themes to notice include antonine, sculpture. This piece is held in the source collection's Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium collection. Ancient Roman is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Roman. The work is cataloged within a Rome cultural context. It is associated with the antonine period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as sculpture, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Marble) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (64.8 × 47.6 × 27.3 cm (25 1/2 × 18 3/4 × 10 3/4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include antonine, sculpture. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/159136

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data