Roman Matron

Once identified as Agrippina the younger, mother of the emperor Nero, this statue is now thought to represent an unidentified Roman matron. The hairstyle, a feature often used to date ancient Roman female portraits, corresponds to a fashion during Nero's reign (54-68 A.D.) The stark, realistic depiction of the woman's bony and lined face contrasts with the gracefully flowing, deeply carved folds of the clothing, characteristics of late Greek (Hellenistic) sculpture. This subtle combination of realism and idealism was common in portraiture of the Roman Republic and Empire, particularly during the reigns of the Julio-Claudian emperors (27 B.C.-68 A.D.) and of Hadrian (117-138 A.D.).