Young Gaul, front view.
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Title
Young Gaul , front view .
Date
200 [CE]?
Cultural Context
Ancient Roman Italian European Western European
Style/Period
Roman (ancient Italian style) Imperial (Roman)
Subject
Sculpture Portraits Youth Young adults Clothing & dress Hairstyles Mustaches
Description
Discovered in Reims (France) . "This sculpture demonstrates the capacity of Roman artists to synthesize widely divergent influences and draw upon diverse styles . It shows that Roman art was capable of addressing very different concerns while still creating an impression of unity . […] Executed by a provincial artist able to handle classical sculptural techniques with real flair , the bust depicts a young man with hair arranged in stiff , thick , and distinctively curving locks , except over the forehead . These features , including the discreet moustache - rare in Roman art - convey the stereotypically hirsute Gaul as he was shown in ancient art since in the Hellenistic period […] . The bangs , which fall in a rather disorderly fashion over the forehead , have been worked with a drill . Together with the rather remote gaze and meditative expression , they give this bust a resemblance to representations of the youthful Marcus Aurelius […] . This allusion to the philosopher-emperor is an attempt to lay claim to the ideal of Stoic wisdom that was long associated with the character of Marcus Aurelius . […] This commission by a citizen of Reims is both a political and personal tribute to the ideal Marcus Aurelius once embodied . […] Here the young man wears a toga with contabulatio , a style that spread through the empire from Africa during the reign of Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.) . The toga was evidence of membership in Roman society , participation in civic activities , and political aspirations . The style also imitated the fashion adopted in the emperor's surroundings , demonstrating loyalty to the new dynasty. " (Excerpt from catalogue entry by Daniel Roger , p . 184) . Purchased in 1932 (MA 3440-INV . MND 1841) . Restorer : Ph . Jallet , 2006 .
Material
Fine-grained marble Marble (rock) Rock Stone (rock)
Measurements
H: 24 3/4 in (63 cm)
Technique
Sculpting Carving (processes) Drillwork (sculpture technique)
Work Type
Sculpture Busts Statues Portraits
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.[185], cat.122).
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 762-24.jpg
Rating
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