ROMAN MARBLE PORTRAIT BUST OF A MAN, GREECE, 1ST HALF OF 2ND CENTURY A.D. |

his head turned sharply to his right, with bare chest, short and thick beard, and unruly hair, on an integral profiled socle; nose and right shoulder formerly restored.

recorded on the Munich art market prior to World War I, offered by a Greek art dealer, said to be from Salonika
acquired in the late 1980s by Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint-Laurent together with their house on the rue Bonaparte, where it already adorned the garden

PUBLISHED
Paul Arndt, in Griechische und römische Porträts, nos. 1128–29, Munich, 1930 (text: http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/buchseite/1092779; plates: http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/buchseite/1093182, http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/buchseite/1093183)

Nose and proper right shoulder once restored, probably in marble (see old photo published in catalogue), and now missing; surface significantly weathered overall, especially on beard and lower part of face; abrasions and losses to base, including two large chips, one in front, and one in back. Surface weathered and dirty overall, the object having been exposed to the elements and to pollution over several decades.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Although Arndt considered this bust to be a Roman private portrait, there is reason to regard it as a Roman copy of an otherwise unknown Greek portrait of the late 4th cent. BC: The sharp turn of the head and the way how the hair parts above the left temple recall the head of the Hermes binding the sandals (see P. Moreno, ed., Lisippo, exh. cat. Rome, 1995, pp. 230ff.). It is tempting to ascribe the original of this portrait to the same artist as the Hermes: Lysippos, famous for working for Alexander the Great.