Portrait Head of Euripides (Primary Title)
[The playwright] Sophocles said that he drew men as they ought to be; Euripides, as they are. Aristotle, Poetics
An innovative Greek thinker and dramatist, Euripides (ca. 480– 406 BC) explored human psychology and the “things we know and see.” There are no portraits of Euripides from his lifetime, but ancient sources describe him as “morose, unsmiling, and unsociable.” Though some see these characteristics in this portrait, Greeks believed that wisdom came with age. This version of Euripides’s portrait is a Roman creation meant to demonstrate the owner’s literacy and respect for the intellectual traditions of the past.
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
