In my opinion, the copy of the “Juno Ludovisi” outside Carpenter 25 depicts a woman rather than a goddess. The statue head may be large, indicating a deity, but it lacks any recognisable iconography that might allow viewers to identify it. It’s possible that notable iconography was included in the body of the original statue, such as Athena’s Aegis or Artemis’s bow, but her infula offers up a clue that she was not a goddess at all (Carpenter 49). Infulas were traditionally worn by priestesses, that is to say mortals, and were not typically depicted on gods or goddesses (Wood 10). Furthermore, the statue head’s hair style mimic’s a human one rather than the traditional low bun of a goddess (Wood 10). Due to the inherent humanity in both the statue’s hairstyle and headdress, it seems unlikely that the head would be that of a goddess. Rather, I find it far more likely that the statue depicts a mortal woman whose likeness in art was heavily influenced by the standard features of a goddess.
Works cited:
Wood, S.E. 1999. Goddess or Woman? Whom or what does Bryn Mawr’s copy of the “Juno Ludovisis” portray?, Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, Fall, pp. 9-12
Carpenter, T. H. 2022. Art and Myth in Ancient Greece. A Handbook. London. Pp. 30-49 [Chapter 3 "Portraits of the Gods"].