Sculptures of men from the Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy

Head of a young ephebe, Villa of the Papyri, Herculaneum

Sculpture – Bronze – 1st century BC

This magnificent head of an ephebe, with a particularly expressive gaze, was discovered in the Tablinum of the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum.

He is gazing intently at something with great interest, wearing a slight smile of pleasure.

His curly hair is slightly pulled back around his head, suggesting that a headband was used to hold it in place.

Head of a young ephebe, Villa dei Papiri, Herculaneum, Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy

Young Adonis

Fisherman, Casa della Fontana Piccola, Pompeii

Sculpture – Bronze (Height 54 cm) 1st century

This fisherman is seated by the sea, as suggested by the shells at his feet.

Fisherman, Pompeii He watches intently as the line at the end of his fishing rod moves, his mouth agape, his body tense and his legs braced on his heels, ready to lunge backwards to yank the fish out of the water.

This man, dressed very simply in a short tunic tied at the shoulder and with his head covered by a small woven straw hat, is a magnificent portrait of the fisherman sitting by the water’s edge : a realistic depiction of the angler whose posture has remained unchanged over the centuries.

His left hand held a basket containing a bronze fish.

This small statue was part of a fountain; the fisherman is seated above the spout from which the water flowed, situated between his legs.

Fisherman, Pompeii

Young man in armour, Nero’s Quadriga, Herculaneum

Young man in armour Sculpture – Bronze (Height 75 cm) First quarter of the 1st century

This sculpture adorned Nero’s quadriga discovered at Herculaneum; the magnificent horses of this quadriga are featured on the page dedicated to horse sculptures at the Archaeological Museum of Naples.

It depicts a young man wearing the breastplate of a Roman officer covered by a woollen cloak fastened over his right shoulder.

His raised right hand would have held a shaft, whilst his left hand, extended forwards, presented his sword during a military ceremony.

His posture shows him to be focused and serious, like a guard mindful of his duty.

Young man in armour

Young man, Nero’s Quadriga, Herculaneum

Young man Sculpture – Bronze (Height 70 cm)
First quarter of the 1st century

Just like the previous statuette of the young man in armour, this one also adorned Nero’s quadriga found at Herculaneum.

This young man is a personification of the “Genius”, the city’s guardian deity.

He wears a cloak covering the lower part of his body.

The position of his arms is very similar to that of the young man in armour, except that here he stands in contrapposto, leaning on his left leg, whilst his raised right hand presumably held a long sceptre and his outstretched left hand is open.

Bust of a man, Tablinum, Villa of the Papyri, Herculaneum

Sculpture – Marble – 1st century BC

This fine bronze bust depicts an adult man with neatly arranged hair and a head covered by a light headdress.

This well-groomed hairstyle and the serious expression on this face with its fine features are those of a man intent on fulfilling the duties of his office.

Bust of a man

Man in a toga, Necropolis of the Herculaneum Gate, Pompeii

Sculpture – Limestone – Late 1st century BC

This statue, found in one of the necropolises of Pompeii, depicts a deceased man wearing a toga, the garment of Roman citizens.

His legs are slightly apart and his right arm is bent horizontally at waist level.

The drapery of his toga is particularly well executed.

Man in a toga

Man in a toga, Temple of Apollo, Pompeii

Sculpture – Marble (Height 206 cm) Early 1st century

This large marble statue was discovered in the Temple of Apollo in Pompeii.

This man in a toga, combining dignity and elegance, holds a papyrus in his right hand whilst his left hand accompanies his words.

The drapery of the toga is superbly rendered.

Man in a toga

Roman dignitary, Rectangular peristyle, Villa of the Papyri

Sculpture – Marble – 1st century BC

This large statue stood in the rectangular peristyle of the Villa of the Papyri.

It gives us an idea of the local dignitaries one might have encountered in the streets of Herculaneum two thousand years ago.

Roman dignitary