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Vitrine EXTRA #8

My Story – Ancient Female Portraits and Their Afterlife

until 20 September 2026
Marble bust of a young woman, wearing a draped garment and a detailed curly hairstyle. The sculpture features naturalistic facial features and a serene expression, with the focus on the upper torso, set against a plain grey background.

The special presentation Vitrine EXTRA,  which periodically showcases different ancient objects as temporary additions to the permanent exhibition of the Kunsthistorisches Museum's  Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, focuses in its eighth edition on ancient portraits of women and their afterlife. Two very different, previously unexhibited female portraits offer insights into current research, which helps us restore the lost history of many objects.

About the exhibition

The Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the Kunsthistorisches Museum contains around 250 Roman marble portraits, many of which have undergone numerous alterations and additions. In many cases, these date back as far as the sixteenth century and illustrate what was expected of ancient sculptures at the time, and how works of art were adapted to the tastes and purposes of the period.

Ancient portraits often bring to life, in a strikingly vivid and immediate way, people who lived long ago. In our special exhibition, we let these sculptures speak for themselves. They tell us about their appearance and the important role played by an often underestimated detail: the hairstyle. It is through this that key questions in portrait research can be explored – from dating to the identity of the subjects.

At the heart of the exhibition are two portraits of women. One is a marble bust, which probably depicts the deified Julia (61–89 CE) (image below), daughter of Emperor Titus and niece of Emperor Domitian of the Flavian dynasty. She wears a distinctive hairstyle with curls above her forehead, behind which a metal diadem was presumably concealed, a feature that points to her social rank and the era.

Address

Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Hochparterre
Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
Google Maps

Opening times

Tue - Sun, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thu until 9 p.m.
 

further visit information

On average, visitors spend around 1.5 hours in the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities.

A marble bust of a woman with textured, curly hair and a serious expression. She is dressed in a draped garment, exhibiting intricate folds, and is set on a circular base. The artwork reflects classical sculpture style.
Portrait of Julia Titi, Head Flavian, late 1st cent. CE; bust 16th cent.
Marble
‘I am the beautiful granddaughter, daughter, and niece of three emperors. After my death at the age of 28, my uncle elevated me to the status of a goddess – imagine! Statues of me were set up throughout the entire empire. When this one of me was destroyed, my head fell onto its face and then rolled onto the back of its head. It lay that way for a long time in the earth. Many centuries later, somebody found it, recognised its beauty, and created a bust for it out of three different marble blocks […].’
The curators put these words into the mouth of Flavia Julia, the deified daughter of the Flavian emperor Titus and the niece of his brother and successor, Domitian.
‘I am the beautiful granddaughter, daughter, and niece of three emperors. After my death at the age of 28, my uncle elevated me to the status of a goddess – imagine! Statues of me were set up throughout the entire empire. When this one of me was destroyed, my head fell onto its face and then rolled onto the back of its head. It lay that way for a long time in the earth. Many centuries later, somebody found it, recognised its beauty, and created a bust for it out of three different marble blocks […].’
The curators put these words into the mouth of Flavia Julia, the deified daughter of the Flavian emperor Titus and the niece of his brother and successor, Domitian.

An antique capital fragment and a piece featuring architectural ornamentation were used for the central section of the bust. Both pieces were so skilfully incorporated in the sixteenth century that the addition went unnoticed until the recent restoration.

Marble bust depicting a draped figure with detailed folds of fabric. The sculpture showcases a classical style, emphasizing the texture of the garment and the simplicity of the base. The head is missing, focusing attention on the intricately carved upper torso.

The second exhibit is a funerary relief depicting an elderly woman in the style of the ‘Great Herculaneum Woman’. She, too, wears a hairstyle typical of her time, which identifies her as a contemporary of Julia. Her clothing suggests she was a person of means. Unfortunately, however, the original frame and the figure on her right – likely her spouse – are now missing.

In the tomb relief shown next to it, the couple are depicted together, in marital harmony.

A weathered marble relief sculpture depicting a figure draped in a flowing robe, with one arm crossed over the chest. The figure's head features short, curly hair and lacks facial details, conveying a sense of solemnity. The background is plain and unadorned.
[Translate to English:] Grabrelief aus Attika mit stehender Frau, römisch, flavisch-trajanisch, spätes 1./frühes 2. Jh., Marmor
A marble relief depicts two seated figures draped in robes. One figure has a beard and gestures with one hand, while the other sits with a calm expression. The scene is framed in stone, showcasing details of their clothing and facial features.
[Translate to English:] Grabrelief aus Attika mit stehendem Ehepaar, römisch, antoninisch, 2. Jh. n. Chr., Marmor

But we don’t just let our marble sculptures speak for themselves: in a screen presentation, they are shown alongside their portraits as depicted on coins. 

During the Roman Empire, coins were used to disseminate portraits of the emperor and their family. The hairstyles, in particular, were rendered with impressive accuracy. Since the Renaissance, researchers have used these coins to identify marble portraits.

Ancient coin featuring the profile of a woman with a detailed hairstyle. The inscription around the edge includes Latin characters, suggesting its historical and numismatic significance. The coin's surface shows signs of age and patina, indicating its antiquity.
Coin portrait of Julia Titi, Dupondius of Titus, brass (Rome, 79/81 CE), circumscription: IVLIA IMP T AVG F AVGVSTA
A profile view of a classical marble sculpture depicting a woman with intricately styled hair adorned with floral elements. The sculpture has a composed expression and wears a draped garment, showcasing detailed craftsmanship typical of ancient art.
Portrait of Julia Titi, Head Flavian, late 1st cent. CE; bust 16th cent.
Marble

For private individuals, the depictions of these precisely rendered hairstyles served as models for their own portraits on busts, funerary reliefs, or sarcophagi.

A silver coin featuring a profile of a woman with intricately styled hair. The woman's face is turned to the right, and the coin has inscriptions along the edge. The background is plain and helps to highlight the coin's detailed design.
Hadrian’s denarius bearing the effigy of his wife Sabina, Rome, 117–136 CE, silver, circumscription: SABINA AUGUSTA HADRIANI AUGusti Pater Patriae
A marble sculpture of a woman's head in profile, featuring detailed hair styling with intricate braids. The facial features are finely carved, showing a serene expression. The sculpture highlights the artistry of ancient craftsmanship.
Portrait of a woman with elaborate braids, Trajanic-early Hadrianic, 1st quarter of 2nd cent. / before 130 CE, marble

About the current research

From nameless, history-less, or defaced portraits, the project team was able to piece together a gallery of portraits that revealed a great deal about their fate – from the way they were displayed in antiquity, through their destruction, to their post-antique restoration history. In this process, the work of the conservators proved to be extremely helpful, as did that of specialists involved in marble analysis.

Marble bust of a young man, showcasing detailed features including straight hair, a neutral expression, and draped clothing. The sculpture emphasizes classical style with realistic portraiture, set against a plain gray background.
Portrait of a female, reworked in the late Severan period (225–235 CE) from a Hadrianic portrait (117–138 CE),
marble
Marble bust of a young male figure, featuring wavy hair and a draped garment. The sculpture captures intricate details in the facial features and fabric folds, mounted on a round base. The background is a solid gray, highlighting the elegance of the craftsmanship.
Julia Mamaea, Late Severan, 222–235 CE; socle modern, marble
Both portraits are carved from marble from the Turkish quarry at Göktepe, which was in great demand during the middle and late Imperial periods.  

On the right is a portrait of Empress Julia Mamaea; on the left is a portrait bust that is almost 100 years older, as evidenced by the shape of the bust and the plinth. The hairstyle, however, is the result of a later alteration and copies that of Julia Mamaea.

The project is part of an international network that aims to redress the imbalance in research regarding portraits of men. It examines not only typology and iconography, but also social roles, symbolic significance, and reception in both antiquity and the modern era.

[Translate to English:]
Medallion of Severus Alexander bearing his portrait and that of his mother Julia Mamaea, Rome, 222–235 CE, copper, circumscription: IMPerator SEVERVS ALEXANDER AVGustus IVLIA MAMAEA AVGusta // MATER AVGusti
A marble bust of a young man, shown in profile. He has wavy hair and wears a draped garment. The sculpture highlights his facial features and expression, capturing a sense of Classical artistry. The background is transparent, emphasizing the figure.
Portrait of Julia Mamaea, who initially ruled on behalf of her son, the young Emperor Severus Alexander, Late Severan, 222–235 CE; socle modern, marble

The other selected portraits of women in the collection broaden this perspective and reveal a striking panorama of female self-expression in antiquity – multifaceted, ever-changing, and remarkably vivid.

Imperial Impressions on the floor plan

Imperial Impressions is located on the second floor.

XVIII XVII XVI XV XIV XIII 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 XII XI X
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As part of the special presentation Vitrine EXTRA, various antique objects are presented temporarily in the permanent exhibition of the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities of the Kunsthistorisches Museum at regular intervals.

The Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities showcases around 2,500 unique objects spanning 3,000 years, including treasure hoards, exquisite cameos, mosaics, and marble masterpieces that bring to life the history of ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and their neighboring cultures.