Museum collection · Art Institute of Chicago · 207740
Portrait Statue of a Man, Possibly Emperor Trajan
Roman, late 1st-early 2nd century
Art Institute of Chicago · Anonymous loan · Public domain
- Artist
- Roman
- Date
- late 1st-early 2nd century
- Medium
- Marble
- Dimensions
- 119.3 × 58.4 × 27.9 cm (47 × 23 × 11 in.)
- Era
- Museum collection
Why it matters
This fragmentary statue depicts a man in full military regalia. He wears body armor (called a cuirass) that imitates the torso’s musculature, the front side of which is adorned with figural motifs intended to ward off evil. Specific motifs on the front, including the Gorgon’s head below the neck and the lion-griffins flanking an incense burner in the center, also appear on some portraits of Emperor Trajan (reigned 98–117), who expanded the empire to its greatest geographic area through successful military campaigns.