Very probably, this powerful little head
represents the bearded Christ, though it also
resembles several known emperor portraits.
Carved from fine marble, it makes a strong
impression through use of a few simple lines. We
can only wonder at the larger work of which it
was once part. Like Europe during the Middle
Ages, it offers only a tantalizing clue to its
former grandeur. We can appreciate its beauty,
but we are left with a lingering sense of
melancholy for what has vanished.
- (PF.2097)
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