Originally dated as 100-200 CE, the sculpture is now considered to be a modern forgery by the J. Paul Getty Museum. Broken off from a full-scale statue, the remaining upper portion of this figure represents a bearded man in a lunging active pose. The figure's thickened ears, heavy brow, and developed musculature suggest that he is probably a pugilist or boxer. The facial features and beard of the figure resemble those frequently used for depictions of Herakles, perhaps indicating that this was a statue of that hero in action. With his now-broken arm reaching out into space, the figure's pose and his bulked-up musculature are reminiscent of sculpture of the Late Hellenistic period. The sculpture is not Hellenistic, however. And although the incised pupils of the statue clearly identify it as Roman, recent studies by conservators indicate that it is, in fact, a modern object. --The J. Paul Getty Museum
