Greece, Alexandria, Hellenistic / c. 300–200 BCE
Head of Alexander the Great
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Head of Alexander the Great as sculpture (Greece, Alexandria, Hellenistic · c. 300–200 BCE).
Portraits of Alexander the Great share his characteristic anastole hairstyle, parted off-center and swept back from the forehead.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as marble.
The museum's collection notes: Slightly smaller than life-size, this head of Alexander the Great features a slight turn, tilt, and upward gaze said to have characterized the young conqueror's posture in life. After his death, Alexander was worshiped as a god; posthumous portraits like this one, likely carved in Ptolemaic Egypt, portray him with long hair and youthful, idealized features.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHead of Alexander the GreatOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.