A colossal Roman marble head, about three times life size, from an acrolithic statue of the first century AD, idealized and youthful in its features, part of the Ludovisi collection formed by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi in the 17th century and long counted among its most celebrated pieces. It was traditionally identified as a head of Juno, and it also carries an alternative scholarly reading as an idealized portrait of Antonia Minor, mother of the emperor Claudius, shown in the guise of the goddess, a common device in Julio-Claudian imperial portraiture. The head was admired by German classical writers including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who kept a plaster cast of it in his study, and Friedrich Schiller. It is displayed today in the Palazzo Altemps branch of the Museo Nazionale Romano.
Facts
Custody
Current LocationPalazzo Altemps, Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome, Italy 2 Current Custodian Custody HistoryPart of the Ludovisi collection formed by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi in the early 17th century; passed to the Boncompagni Ludovisi family; the collection is displayed today at Palazzo Altemps under the Museo Nazionale Romano. 2 Physical Form
MediumSourced to the subject's own accountMarble (acrolithic head) 1 Origins
CreationSourced to the subject's own account Date of CreationSourced to the subject's own account Subject Matter
Depicted SubjectSourced to the subject's own accountA colossal idealized female head identified as Juno, also read as Antonia Minor portrayed in the goddess's guise. 1 Rights and Reproduction
Reproduction and CopyrightThis atlas describes and cites the head rather than reproducing a photograph of it. 2 Cross-Tradition Connections
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