Hellenistic art
Head of an aged Centaur
Sculpture
Roman copy of an original from the 2nd century B.C.
Asiatic marble
This head, with its tortured expression, derives from a statue of an elderly centaur who had a little cupid perched on his back. The original work, created in the 2nd century B.C., was an allegory of the pangs of love that torment old age, in contrast to the amorous joys of youth (symbolized by a laughing young centaur). The best copies of these works are the gray marble sculptures signed by Aristeas and Papias of Aphrodisia, discovered at Hadrian’s Villa near Tivoli, and now at the Capitoline Museums.
Location: Second floor > Rooms 7-8 - Hellenistic Art
Provenance:
Purchased in Rome
Inventory:
Inv. MB 179