|
Title |
Tiberius, front view. |
|
Date |
37 [CE]? |
|
Cultural Context |
Ancient Roman
Italian
European
Western European |
|
Style/Period |
Roman (ancient Italian style)
Imperial (Roman)
Julio-Claudian |
|
Subject |
Sculpture
Heads (Anatomy)
Portraits
Emperors
Rulers
People associated with politics & government
Men
Hairstyles
Crowns
Headdresses
Headgear
Leaves
Symbols |
|
Description |
"[…] this portrait probably came from the forum's Augusteum (a shrine dedicated to the imperial family). […] In this portrait, the hair is combed forward, with short bangs over the forehead, formed by straight and regularly laid locks that open in the center in a little fork. At the right and left edges of the bangs, the strands overlap like pincers. This type of hairstyle puts the portrait in the "Chiaramonti" category, a type that seems already to have existed in the time of Augustus but which endured through the reign of Tiberius and continued to be used after his death in posthumous portraits. The head's massive scale, idealized and abstract features, and inexpressive eyes all suggest that this portrait was made after Tiberius's death. […] The characteristics of this head closely resemble those of the head of Tiberius found in the theatre in Cerveteri (the Roman Caere). That head has the same triangular-shaped face, widely round eyes, aquiline nose (despite severe damage), small, carefully modeled mouth with a slightly protruding upper lip, and prominent chin. It was set in a colossal seated statue, recalling representations of Jupiter Verospi […]. Whether or not the head shown here was used in Gabii in a representation of the Jupiter Verospi type is still subject to speculation. Pierantoni's restoration eliminated any remaining trace of the base for mounting the head, although the shape of the leminisci (ribbons attached to the crown), which may have flowed over the shoulders before they were gathered on the torso in a modern restoration, leaves this possibility open. […] The oak leaf crown seen here was usually bestowed ob cives servatos - to those who had saved the lives of Roman citizens. Tiberius, who was frequently a victor on the battlefield in his youth, […] earned this honor. But the oak leaf crown in gold was also a funerary offering […]. The oak-leaf diadem - a mark of honor, a funerary present, or an attribute of the god of victory - never appeared in portrait sculpture or coins depicting the living Tiberius. When Augustus died, Tiberius requested that the Senate elevate his predecessor to the position of a god; by right of adoption, Tiberius would then be in a position to claim the title of divu filius (son of a god), although he was never actually deified himself. Nevertheless, upon his death, Tiberius received divine honors within the general framework of the cult of the imperial family […]. The growth of this cult was aided by the ambiguous significance of motifs such as the oak leaf crown […]." (Excerpt from catalogue entry by Daniel Roger, p. 75). Discovered in Gabii, near Rome, 1792. Purchased in 1807, formerly in the Borghese collection (MA 1239-INV. MR 663). Restorers: G. Pierantoni, 1792, and G.-L. Barthe, 2003. |
|
People Pictured |
Tiberius, Emperor of Rome, 42 BCE-37 CE |
|
Material |
White marble
Marble (rock)
Rock
Stone (rock) |
|
Measurements |
H: 22 1/2 in (57 cm) |
|
Technique |
Sculpting
Carving (processes) |
|
Work Type |
Sculpture
Portraits
Statues |
|
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.[74], cat.19). |
|
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 762-06.jpg |
|
Rating |
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