Marble head of a young man with short wavy hair, eyes hollowed, nose chipped, against a dark background.

Marble portrait of the emperor Augustus

A marble head of a youthful man with close-cropped, swept hair, carved with smooth planes and deep-set eyes with incised irises. The nose is chipped away and the lips are firm, with a calm, composed expression. The surface has a warm, weathered patina against the dark backdrop.

Look closer: A small chip and wear mark on the nose and cheek show the damage the head has suffered.

Artist: Unknown
Date: ca. 14–37 CE
Medium: Marble
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Size: 2911 × 3880 px

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Public domain · The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image under CC0 (latest date 37).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (The Met Open Access, isPublicDomain=true)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1907

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