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A round marble relief portrays the bust of a man whose head projects outward and upward with great depth.

A round, white, marble sculpture portrays a man, whose chest emerges in low relief, but whose head projects outward and upward from the medallion into space with great depth. He has full features, wavy hair, and a wide gaze, and wears a simple tunic. Above his left shoulder in the center of the otherwise empty space is a small scroll with rolled ends in relief. There is a raised marble border encircling the rim of the medallion.

Gallery Text

Ancient Greek drama had a long afterlife. The comic playwright Menander worked in the court of a Hellenistic ruler in the fourth to third centuries BCE, but his popularity endured into the late antique period and beyond; there are more ancient Menander portraits in existence than portraits of any other Greek writer or thinker. His own reputed skill at naturalistic portrayals may have made him such a desirable subject; Aristophanes of Byzantium famously wrote, “Oh Menander and Life! Which of you imitated the other?” This particular medallion portrait, produced long after the playwright’s death, would probably have been displayed in a Roman architectural context alongside similar portraits of Greek philosophers and playwrights. Menander, complete with dramatic scroll in the background, would have stood out for his urbane and vigorous features, and his clean-shaven chin would have contrasted with the beards of his more serious companions.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1991.63
Title
Medallion Portrait of Menander
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture
Date
4th century CE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe
Period
Roman Imperial period
Culture
Roman
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/287968

Location

Location
Level 3, Room 3400, Ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Art, Ancient Greece in Black and Orange
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Physical Descriptions

Medium
Marble
Technique
Carved
Dimensions
55 cm h x 48 cm w x 23 cm d (21 5/8 x 18 7/8 x 9 1/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Hon. James Smith Barry, Marbury Hall, Cheshire, England, (acquired 1776), by descent; to the Marbury Hall Collection, (until 1987), sold; [through Christie's, London, July 10, 1987]; [through Royal-Athena Galleries, New York, 1987-1991], sold and partial gift from Jerome Eisenberg; to the Harvard University Art Museums, 1991.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift in part of Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Eisenberg and Purchase in part from the Alpheus Hyatt Purchasing Fund
Accession Year
1991
Object Number
1991.63
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • James Cuno, Alvin L. Clark, Jr., Ivan Gaskell, and William W. Robinson, Harvard's Art Museums: 100 Years of Collecting, ed. James Cuno, Harvard University Art Museums and Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, 1996), p. 118-119, ill.
  • James Cuno, ed., A Decade of Collecting: Recent Acquisitions by the Harvard University Art Museums, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, Mass., Spring 2000), pp. 28-29
  • [Reproduction Only], Persephone, (Fall 2004)., p. 83.

Exhibition History

  • Roman Gallery Installation (long-term), Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/16/1999 - 01/20/2008
  • Re-View: S422 Ancient & Byzantine Art & Numismatics, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 04/12/2008 - 06/18/2011
  • 32Q: 3400 Greek, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Collection Highlights
  • Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu