The elegant features of the young Antinous, a favorite of beloved Roman emperor Hadrian, are masterfully captured with exceptional richness in this plaster bust of the ancient Greek hero, a masterpiece created by the artisans of the Romanelli Gallery in Florence. The lifelike details of his handsome face, with a straight nose and thick, curly hair, are depicted in a melancholic expression perhaps reflecting on his premature death before his 20th birthday.