Portrait of a young boy,

late 2nd century CE

This young boy is shown with a particularly somber expression, with down-turned mouth and forlorn eyes. Did the sculptor give him this sad expression to indicate that this is a portrait of child who died prematurely, or is his sadness meant to evoke the grief experienced by his family, who had lost a son? Child mortality in antiquity was high, and life expectancy was likely lower than it is today. This was especially true around the time this portrait was made, as the world was ravaged by a deadly pandemic. The boy’s face communicates a depth of emotion that is often seen in other portraits from the period. Compare this example to the jolly, chubby-faced infant displayed nearby, who lived nearly two centuries earlier. While the Julio-Claudian sculpture offers an idealized image of joy, the Antonine youth’s expression may instead point to an individual’s distinct character and experiences.