Roman Head Of A Bearded Dionysus , Marble, 2nd Century Ad.

Roman Head of a Bearded Dionysus , Marble, 2nd Century AD.

A beautiful antique marble head depicting a bearded god, probably Dionysus, sculpted during the Roman Imperial period. The slightly inclined face displays a calm and idealized expression, characteristic of classical Greek models. The abundant hair, styled in wavy locks, and the thick beard recall the great prototypes of Dionysus from the 5th century BC, which were highly prized and copied during the Empire.

This head could be compared to the type known as the Dionysos Sardanapalus, traditionally understood as an archaizing representation of the god. This iconographic scheme, derived from a Greek original of the 4th century BC, is characterized by abundant hair arranged in undulating locks, a carefully structured beard, and a deliberately idealized modelling of the face. Roman copies of this type reflect a particular interest in retrospective forms and stylistic revivals, in which Dionysos appears not in his youthful Hellenistic guise but as a mature deity endowed with a composed, dignified presence. The features of the present head could, in this perspective, be interpreted as a partial adherence to this archaizing canon.

This head fits perfectly within this tradition, testifying to the spread of the cult and its impact on Roman art. This head must have belonged to a sizable statue, probably a bust or cult figure. The restrained and balanced rendering of the volumes, as well as the use of trepano (terebrum) in some of the curls, dates the piece to the mid- to late 2nd century AD.

Dimensions: 20 cm, L. 11 cm, D. 13 cm, weight approx. 3.42 kg.
Presented on a later 7 cm wooden base.
Provenance: Luchtenberg Foundation