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Head of Trajan
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Though this portrait head has many of the features associated with the emperor Trajan, such as his short, comma-shaped forelocks, other aspects of the statue are unusual. For example, all other known portraits of Trajan depict him as clean shaven, but this one appears to have facial hair. Provincial portraits—that is, those made outside of Italy—could sometimes differ dramatically from imperial standards. This head may be an example of provincial experimentation.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineHead of Trajan, 100–200 CE. Italy, Roman. Marble; overall: 9 cm (3 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund, 1925.468
