Three lictors, front views.
Title
Three lictors , front views .
Date
Early empire?
Cultural Context
Ancient Roman Italian European Western European
Style/Period
Roman (ancient Italian style) Imperial (Roman) Early Imperial
Subject
Sculpture Metalwork Figurines Men Bodyguards Guards People associated with health & safety Clothing & dress Boots Footwear Hairstyles Fasces Ceremonial objects Emblems Symbols Lifting & carrying
Description
"When the emperor passed by a crowd , lictors were responsible for holding the onlookers back . The statue here is composed of three lictors standing side by side , their heads turned slightly toward their right . They wear long togas draped over short-sleeved tunics and calcei (ankle boots) . In the left hand each holds the fasces , emblem of Roman lictors , one end resting on a shoulder . The fasces consisted of elm or birch rods bundled like a cylinder around an ax , usually tied with a red belt . […] Here the first lictor raises his right hand to his shoulder , as if to adjust his tunic ; the second holds his arm down the length of his body ; the third holds back a fold of his toga . The variations of these poses and the size of the figures break the monotony of the composition . The hairstyle - short locks arranged over the forehead - is characteristic of the Julio-Claudian era . In keeping with the fashion of the early empire , the sinus (toga fold) forming a semi-circle beginning at the waist is not very voluminous . […] Undoubtedly this group of statuettes was once attached to a more complex scene . That all are glancing toward the right seems to indicate that a scene was unfolding in that direction. " (Excerpt from catalogue entry by Catherine Bastien , p . 110) . Provenance unknown . Purchased in 1825 , formerly in the Durand collection (BR 729-INV . ED 4384) . Restorer : A. Conin , 2006 .
Material
Bronze (metal) Metal
Measurements
H: 4 1/4 in (10.9 cm); 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm); 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm)
Technique
Sculpting Metalworking Casting (process)
Work Type
Sculpture Statues Figurines Bronzes (objects) Metalwork
Repository
Musee du Louvre (Paris, France)
Source
Giroire, Cecile, and Daniel Roger. Roman Art from the Louvre. New York: American Federation of Arts in assoc. with Hudson Hills Press, 2007. (p.111, cat.43).
Rights
Photographs of the works in the exhibition reproduced in Giroire courtesy: Copyright © 2007 Musee du Louvre and the American Federation of Arts/Anne Chauvet, Daniel Lebee, and Carine De Ambrosis.
Digital Publisher
University of Louisville Department of Fine Arts/Allen R. Hite Art Institute Visual Resources Center
Format
image/jpeg
Digital File Name
VRC 762-12.jpg
Rating
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