Inv. Scu 19

Ideal male head, turned to right, very much restored; the surface is rather worn.

The head is a Roman imperial replica of the so-called “Alexander” type, an ideal youthful head, which was created between 340 and 320 BC and is known through a series of copies; one of the best Roman copies is now in Villa Albani. The identification of the type is still a matter of conjecture and the head has been associated with a hero, Apollo or Asclepius.

The Capitoline exemplar diverges from the prototype because of the opposite inclination of the head, the different treatment of the locks, which result thicker and wavier, and the absence of a fillet wreathing the head.

The bust, wearing tunic and toga, is certainly not pertinent and can be dated to the 2nd century AD.

The provenance of the sculpture is unknown, though presumably it was found in Rome; the work has been displayed in the Capitoline Museum at least since 1750.