On view
Ancient Mediterranean Art
Funeral monument of a charioteer,
ca. 130–140 CE
Roman
Hadrianic Period or Antonine, 117–138 CE
y1989-41
The sculptor of this funeral monument represented the charioteer with a broad face, almond-shaped eyes, curly hair, and wavy beard, features that bear a striking resemblance to portraits of the emperor Hadrian. Hadrian was always (and unusually for the time) shown with facial hair that was more in line with the style in Greece. While the charioteer may or may not have resembled the emperor in life, the inclusion of the beard suggests that he deliberately chose to emulate the emperor. He also wears a tunic and harness of thick leather straps, the distinctive equipment of a professional charioteer; adorning the two sides of the monument are prancing horses, underscoring his profession. Charioteers were often enslaved, though some were able to accumulate winnings and buy their freedom. That may have been the case with this individual, who then commissioned this monument to commemorate his life and accomplishments.
Information
Title
Funeral monument of a charioteer
Dates
ca. 130–140 CE
Medium
Fine grained marble
Dimensions
preserved: 57.6 x 63.0 x 51.2 cm (22 11/16 x 24 13/16 x 20 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, gift of John B. Elliott, Class of 1951
Object Number
y1989-41
Period
Materials
Subject
Purchased from The Merrin Gallery, New York.;
- "Acquisitions of the Art Museum 1989," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 49, no. 1 (1990): p. 24-57., p. 54
- J. Michael Padgett, ed., Roman sculpture in The Art Museum, Princeton University, (Princeton, NJ: Art Museum, Princeton University, 2001)., p. 374-376; cat. no. 161
- John J. Herrmann, Jr., and Christine Kondoleon, Games for the Gods: the Greek athlete and the olympic spirit, (Boston, MA: MFA Publications, 2004)., cat. no. 95, p. 119 (illus.) and 182
- Sinclair Bell, Images of chariot racing in the funerary sculpture of the Roman Empire: typology, chronology, and context, Dissertation, University of Edinburgh, 2005., Black and White - Existing Negative
- Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007), p. 263 (illus.)
- Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collections (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2013), p. 279
