Head of Alexander the Great
-300–-200
- Medium
- marble
- Dimensions
- Overall: 26.5 x 14.5 x 13.8 cm (10 7/16 x 5 11/16 x 5 7/16 in.)
- Genre
- sculpture
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
Tags
Greece, Alexandria, Hellenistic
About
Slightly smaller than life-size, this head of Alexander the Great features a slight turn, tilt, and upward gaze said to have characterized the young conqueror's posture in life. After his death, Alexander was worshiped as a god; posthumous portraits like this one, likely carved in Ptolemaic Egypt, portray him with long hair and youthful, idealized features.