School of Pasiteles (active Greece, 90 BCE - 50 BCE, Magna Graecia Southern Italy)
Torso and Right Leg of Dionysus or Apollo, about 50 BCE
Greek island marble, 87.6 x 34.9 x 17.1 cm (34 1/2 x 13 3/4 x 6 3/4 in.)
This sculpture of a nude male torso is carved from even grained, light-colored Greek Island Marble. The body is thin and not heavily muscled. The ends of wavy hair are visible at each shoulder. He is headless, both arms are missing after the upper arm, the leg to our right is entirely missing, and the leg to our left is missing below the knee. The hip on our right sticks out slightly. There are square protrusions on the upper and lower thigh to our left. The sculpture rests on a low square pedestal made of veined marble. There is a metal rod supporting this figure.
Chinese Loggia
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.