Leone Clerici

This beautifully carved head of a young woman follows an ancient Roman marble in the Sala dei Busti of the Museo Pio Cementino, which has traditionally been identified with the goddess Isis, but more likely represents a portrait. The Roman head is considered to be a copy of a now-lost Greek original from the fifth or fourth century BC. Of Egyptian origin, the cult of Isis spread to the Graeco-Roman world during the Hellenistic period, and the goddess was depicted in art with a headdress surmounted by a disc, which may have inspired the elaborate hairstyle exhibited by the present model. 

Leone Clerici was an expert in copying classical busts of emperors, historical figures, and deities with minute detail. The sculptor's skill is evident in the present bust: the features of her face are well defined, with large eyes set under defined eyebrows, a Grecian nose, and soft lips.