Marble Relief Fragment – Male Figure – Roman Art (?) – Sculpture – Possibly Antique (?)

Marble Relief Fragment Depicting Heracles
Probably Antique
Roman Art, 2nd–3rd Century AD (?)

Dimensions:
Approx. 27x13x3 cm

Elegant fragment of a marble relief depicting Heracles (Hercules) as a young hero, shown standing and holding his club in his right hand. The figure, though fragmentary, retains a strong sculptural presence and reflects the enduring iconography of the hero in Greco-Roman art.

The back of the panel features three regular vertical grooves, a technical detail commonly found on fragments intended to be inserted into a larger structure—such as the side panel of a sarcophagus, a stele, or another funerary monument. This suggests that the fragment originally formed part of a decorative or funerary assemblage.

The slightly ochre surface patina, along with the wear visible along the edges, indicates significant age and prolonged burial or exposure. The unfinished reverse and the preserved thickness further confirm that this was not an independently displayed sculpture, but rather a structural or architectural element within a larger composition.

• Marble in good overall condition, despite the loss of the surrounding elements that would have completed the scene.

• Homogeneous patina consistent with notable age.

The work could belong to the Greco-Roman antique tradition, to a later provincial production, or possibly to a Neoclassical period piece inspired by ancient models. Its stylistic and technical features remain compatible with an antique origin, though caution is appropriate in the absence of archaeological context.

An engaging study object, ideal for collectors interested in sculpture, heroic iconography, and architectural fragments.

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