A Roman Marble Portrait Bust of a Man, mid 3rd Century A.D.

Nils Ebbessøn Astrup (1901-1972), Oslo, acquired in Switzerland prior to 1959 on the advice of Hans Peter L'Orange (1903-1983), founder and director of the Norwegian Institute in Rome

Norwegian private collection, Oslo, by descent from the above

by descent from the above to the present owner

Documented

two photographs from 1955, reproduced in 1960, in the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Rom: D-DAI-ROM-60.1301R–02R: arachne.dainst.org/entity/1926285; arachne.dainst.org/entity/1926286 ("jetzt Oslo, privatslg. Nils Astrup")

Published

Hans Peter l´Orange, "Ein Meisterwerk römischer Porträtkunst aus dem Jahrhundert der Soldatenkaiser," Symbolae Osloenses, vol. 35, 1959, pp. 88ff., figs. 1ff.

Hans Peter l´Orange, Art Forms and Civic Life in the Late Roman Empire, Princeton, 1965, p. 106f., fig. 52

Klaus Fittschen, "Bemerkungen zu den Porträts des 3. Jhs. n. Chr.," Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, vol. 84, 1969, p. 214, note 29

Siri Sande, "Antikke portretter i norsk privateie," in: Streiftog i antikken til H. P. l’Oranges 70-Arsdag, Oslo, 1973, pp. 50ff., illus.

Marianne Bergmann, Studien zum römischen Porträt des 3. Jhs. n.Chr., Bonn, 1977, pp. 17. 42. 126, pls. 6,5-6. 39,3

Max Wegner, Gordianus III. bis Carinus (Das römische Herrscherbild, vol. III.3), Berlin, 1979, p. 66

Luca Giuliani, in Bilder vom Menschen in der Kunst des Abendlandes, exhibition catalogue, Berlin, 1980, p. 83, no. 58, illus.

Klaus Fittschen and Paul Zanker, Katalog der römischen Porträts in den Capitolinischen Museen, vol. 1, Mainz, 1985, p. 133, note 15

Siri Sande, Greek and Roman Portraits in Norwegian Collections, Acta ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia, vol. 10, Rome, 1991, p. 89f., no. 73, pl. 72f.

Klaus Fittschen et al., Katalog der römischen Porträts in den Capitolinischen Museen, vol. 2, Berlin, 2010, pp. 154, note 5. 171, note 3

arachne.dainst.org/entity/1096819

This bust is a prime example of portraiture in the mid 3rd century A.D. In the words of Giuliani (op. cit., p. 83), "the face is ravaged by struggles, stern and ruthful. The sitter has achieved great things, is burdened by responsibility and filled with concern about public weal. Nevertheless, his vigor and energy are unabated." Since its first publication, the head has been compared stylistically as well as physiognomically with the portrait of emperor Decius (reigned 249-251 A.D.) in Rome, Musei Capitolini: Fittschen and Zanker cit., pp. 130ff., no. 110, pls. 135ff. Some scholars believe it to be another portrait of this unlucky emperor, an assumption that cannot be substantiated. It would be safer to regard the sitter as one of Decius’ military commanders. For the physiognomic detail of the diagonal furrows over the right brow compare a slightly later "private" portrait in Rome, Musei Capitolini: Fittschen et al. cit., p. 170f., no. 169, pl. 210f.

For other marble sculpture from the Nils Astrup Collection sold at Sotheby’s see New York, June 8th, 2011, no. 42 ("Pseudo-Seneca"), June 3rd, 2015, nos. 28 (bearded head of Dionysos) and 50 (a Julio-Claudian portrait bust of a man), and London, July 2nd, 2019, no. 247 (a portrait head of Aristotle).