This colossal bust is a posthumous portrait of Antinous (died 130), the lover of Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117-138). The eyes and the attribute on the top of the head (possibly a lotus flower or a uraeus) were added separately. The body into which the bust was inserted was probably carved in a different stone. In the early 19th century, the bust was displayed at the Villa Mondragone, a property belonging to the Borghese family near Rome. Napoleon I acquired the Borghese collection in 1807. (Source: Louvre Museum [website]; http://www.louvre.fr/)
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This colossal bust is a posthumous portrait of Antinous (died 130), the lover of Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117-138). The eyes and the attribute on the top of the head (possibly a lotus flower or a uraeus) were added separately. The body into which the bust was inserted was probably carved in a different stone. In the early 19th century, the bust was displayed at the Villa Mondragone, a property belonging to the Borghese family near Rome. Napoleon I acquired the Borghese collection in 1807. (Source: Louvre Museum [website]; http://www.louvre.fr/)
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