Portrait bust. Rome, first century A.D. Bronze. Provenance: collection P.V. Madrid, 1970's. In good condition, without restorations. Measures: 20.6 cm (height). The origin of the Roman portrait appears linked more to a concept than to a plastic expression, and reflects like no other artistic genre the vital philosophy of that people. In its formation it is possible to detect three roots: the Etruscan-Italic, the Greek and the autochthonous current of the "maiorum imagines" or funerary masks. The combination of all of them will result in an unmistakable and genuine work that, despite the logical differences gradually imbued by the provincial workshops, will evolve in parallel in all the territories of the Roman Empire. The portrait of the Republican period is already interested in the serious and serious personality of the models, especially of the rulers, bringing an energy and a decision to the statues that we also find in this bust. At first they were busts that only included the head and part of the neck, but they were gradually lengthened to represent also the shoulders and chest. There were also full-length and equestrian portraits, although the latter formula was only used for emperors. In fact, that of the emperor is the most frequent model of Roman sculpture, constituting the model for the rest of the portraits, of private scope. The bust in question, entirely made of bronze, represents the portrait of an elderly woman. It stands out notably for its high degree of detail, capturing exceptionally the serious countenance of the lady, the curly hair of her hair and the folds of the toga that covers her chest. Dimensions 20.6 cm (height).