Statue of the Emperor Hadrian
Bronze and lead
H: 89; W: 75 cm
1975-763
A statue of Hadrian, apparently used for the ritual worship of the emperor, was discovered in a camp of the Roman army. One of the few extant bronze sculptures of an emperor from the Roman Period, it portrays Hadrian in the typical pose of the supreme military commander greeting his troops. His muscle cuirass is decorated with an enigmatic depiction of archaic warriors. Probably cast in an imperial workshop, the statue features the standardized likeness of the emperor, down to the unique shape of his earlobe, a symptom of the heart disease that eventually caused his death.
The Israel Museum, Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005
Zalmona, Yigal, ed., The Israel Museum at 40: Masterworks of Beauty and Sanctity, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2005
Beauty and Sanctity: the Israel Museum at 40. A Series of Exhibitions Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Zalmona, Yigal, 2006
3x50@50: IMJ Collection Highlights, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2015
The Beauty of Sanctity: Masterworks from Every Age, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 29/03/2005 - 12/11/2005
