Bust of Emperor Hadrian as a Young Man

This bust, with its dense, curly hair and straplike beard and mustache, is a Renaissance interpretation of Roman sculptural portraits believed to represent the emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–38 CE). A great patron of the arts, Hadrian was celebrated in the Renaissance as one of Rome’s “five good emperors.” A famous admirer of Greek culture, he wore a beard and mustache to fashion himself as a Greek philosopher. His example made facial hair chic once again among the Roman elite, and beards remained all the rage for almost a century.