ANTICO
(b. ca. 1460, Mantova, d. 1528, Mantova)

Emperor Antoninus Pius (detail)

1519-22
Bronze, partially gilt and silvered
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The deep, crisply executed locks of hair create a vibrant pattern; such technical virtuosity confirms Antico's presumed training as a goldsmith. The curls on the head join those of the beard to frame the emperor's rather pensive face.