Naked statue of Hadrian reworked in the late 3rd century, from Perge, Antalya Museum

This naked statue of Hadrian with a small Nike at his feet was discovered in 1992 during the excavations of the stage building of the theatre at Perge, an ancient Greek city in Anatolia and the capital of Pamphylia.

The statue was found broken in several pieces and was later restored to an almost complete state. It is the second naked statue of Hadrian in the Antalya Museum. The first statue (see here), which is of the “Diomedes type”, was discovered during the excavations of 1971 at the north nymphaeum.

This statue is of particular interest because the head and body carry the style of different periods. The head, with 2nd century features, was carved again in the late 3rd century AD and was given a new appearance to reflect the fashion of this period. This method of recarving portraits at a later date was common during the restoration of the Perge theatre stage building at the end of the 3rd century (280-285). The wig-like hair around the head, the V-shaped beard, the pupils of the eyes and wrinkles on the forehead are the results of this 3rd century recarving.

Source: Antalya Museum Scuptures of the Perge Theatre Gallery M.Edip Ozgur