LOT 0096

Hellenistic Terracotta Head of a Youth

3RD CENTURY B.C.

9 1/4 in. (1.40 kg total, 23.5 cm high including stand).

Tousled curly hair, strong aquiline nose and full mouth; the deep eyes marked by raised eyelids and prominent semi-circular eyebrows; the hair arranged in overlapping rows of locks; repaired; mounted on a later porphyry plinth.

From the estates of the late Adrian Stanford and Norman St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley.
with the previous owner since 1982.
with Christie's, London, South Kensington, 22 February 2017, lot 10.

Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11774-204595.

Cf. Moreno, P., ‘L’immagine di Alessandro Magno nell’opera di Lisippo e di altri artisti’ in Alexander the Great, 1993, pp.101-136; Moreno, P. (ed.), Lisippo, l’arte e la fortuna, catalogo della mostra, Roma-Milano, 1995; Alfano, C. (ed.), Alessandro Magno, Storia e Mito, Martellago, 1995; L Frumusa, G., ‘Alessandro Magno, Eracle e la Leonté nella Glittica Ellenistica e Romana’ in LANX, 3, December 2009, pp.13-35; cf. also portrait of Alexander the Great in the Athens Archaeological Museum in Bieber, M., Alexander the Great in Greek and Roman Art, 1964, p.52, fig.37, pl.XX.

The head represents a Hellenistic portrait of a young man, whose characteristics seem to suggest a reference to a youthful portrait of Alexander the Great. Another possibility is that it represents the portrait of Alexander’s companion, Hephaestion.