Marble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a Scroll

Marble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a Scroll

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This sensitively carved portrait bust presents a mature woman with a thoughtful expression and piercing gaze; the scroll held in her right hand signals an appreciation for classical learning and marks her as a member of the elite. She wears a mantle, tunic, and head covering, typical dress for an aristocratic woman. Such head coverings did not come into fashion until the fourth century. The bust likely formed part of a commemorative display, perhaps documenting a public donation, or was used in a domestic setting.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Marble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a ScrollMarble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a ScrollMarble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a ScrollMarble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a ScrollMarble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a Scroll

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.