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Roman Marble sarcophagus fragment depicting Eros, 2nd-3rd Century A.D.

Conservation:  Good condition
Material:  Marble
Dimensions:  46 cm
Provenance:  American private collection, New York, acquired in the late 1980s / Bonhams London, Auction, 2014
Exhibited:  Feriarte, IFEMA (Madrid, 16-24 November 2019)
Published:  Antiquities, London, Bonhams, September 30th, 2014.

Price:

5000€
Ref bhm107 Category Tags , , ,

This fragment of sarcophagus is decorated with the figure of Eros or Cupid, represented as a chubby child with wings. It follows the classical tradition that we can see in his angelic face with a curly hairstyle and a long mantle that moves with the wind, while he raises his arms to reach the large fruits behind him. This work shows the maintenance of the mythological tradition still in the 3th and 4th centuries even though christianism was already starting to expand, representing that coexistence of both religions in the empire.
On the other hand, stylistically it is a work that agrees with the high imperial epoch since we observe that the loss of detail or the appearance of disproportions, are features that characterize the art of this period that moves away from the classic canon because it is more concerned with transmitting the idea or message than with its representation.

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