This statue of the head of a goddess is carved of off-white marble. There is a row of tight, circular curls along her hairline. Her hair sits almost on top of these circles, giving it a sudden depth that makes it appear almost like a headpiece. Her hair is given texture with dense wavy lines that part in the center. She wears a headband that is decorated with a row of circular flower shapes. She has large eye sockets, though the eyeballs themselves are missing. Her nose is also large, and the tip of her nose is broken off. The statue sits atop a simple cylindrical dark brown base.
Roman
Head of a Goddess,
1st century-2nd century
Pentelic marble
,
27.9 x 20.3 x 19.1 cm (11 x 8 x 7 1/2 in.)
Object details
Accession number
S16w18
Primary Creator
Roman
Full title
Head of a Goddess
Creation Date
1st century-2nd century
Provenance
Purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner from an unknown art dealer in Rome for probably 8,000 lire in October 1899, through the art historian and archaeologist Richard Norton (1872-1918).
Dimensions
27.9 x 20.3 x 19.1 cm (11 x 8 x 7 1/2 in.)
Display Media
Pentelic marble
Web 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.
Permanent Gallery Location
Raphael Room
Bibliography
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 119. (Graeco-Roman, archaistic, 1st-2nd century [AD], in imitation of the archaic style of the 4th century BCE)“Notes, Records, Comments.” Gardner Museum Calendar of Events 9, no. 35 (8 May 1966), p. 2. (Roman, archaistic, 1st-2nd century AD)Cornelius C. Vermeule III et al. Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1977), p. 27, no. 34. (Graeco-Roman, archaistic, imitating the work of about 510 BCE; possibly modified by the Italian sculptor and forger Alceo Dossena, 1878-1936)
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
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.