Portrait of Augustus as General
Portrait of Augustus as General
Roman portraiture was one of the most significant periods in the development of portrait art. The characteristics of Roman portraitures are more modest, realistic, idealized, and natural. Also, the body compositions, muscles and facial expressions of portraits and sculptures are more advanced. Many roman portraits are directly linked to specific individuals, such as gods and emperors. They were often used for propaganda purposes and included ideological messages in the pose, accoutrements, or costume of the figure.
In history, Augustus was the founder and also the first emperor of Roman Empire. Augustus was born Gaius Octavius on September 23, 63 B.C.E., in Rome. His father had held several political offices and had earned a fine reputation, but he died when Augustus was four. The people who most influenced young Augustus were his mother, Atia. Another woman who also influenced him in his life was his wife, Livia. They were quickly in love and seemed to live happily together ever after. In about 31 BC, together with his two consuls, Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus, he formed the Second Triumvirate to defeat the assassins of Caesar. Following their victory at Phillipi, the Triumvirate divided the Roman Republic between themselves and ruled as military dictators. Finally, he replaced the Roman republic with an effective monarchy and during his long reign brought peace and stability.
One of Augustus’ most famous portraits is called, Portrait of Augustus as general, from Primaporta; the sculpture gets its name from the town in Italy where it was found. Now, it is placed in Vatican Museums in Italy. Originally it was made of bronze. This was a marble copy of the original piece.
The reason I choose this art piece is because the artist used fine techniques carved out this fabulous piece and the technique has obviously advanced than early periods. The cloth, his hair and his standing pose show they are difficult to create.
Roman portraiture was one of the most significant periods in the development of portrait art. The characteristics of Roman portraitures are more modest, realistic, idealized, and natural. Also, the body compositions, muscles and facial expressions of portraits and sculptures are more advanced. Many roman portraits are directly linked to specific individuals, such as gods and emperors. They were often used for propaganda purposes and included ideological messages in the pose, accoutrements, or costume of the figure.
In history, Augustus was the founder and also the first emperor of Roman Empire. Augustus was born Gaius Octavius on September 23, 63 B.C.E., in Rome. His father had held several political offices and had earned a fine reputation, but he died when Augustus was four. The people who most influenced young Augustus were his mother, Atia. Another woman who also influenced him in his life was his wife, Livia. They were quickly in love and seemed to live happily together ever after. In about 31 BC, together with his two consuls, Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus, he formed the Second Triumvirate to defeat the assassins of Caesar. Following their victory at Phillipi, the Triumvirate divided the Roman Republic between themselves and ruled as military dictators. Finally, he replaced the Roman republic with an effective monarchy and during his long reign brought peace and stability.
One of Augustus’ most famous portraits is called, Portrait of Augustus as general, from Primaporta; the sculpture gets its name from the town in Italy where it was found. Now, it is placed in Vatican Museums in Italy. Originally it was made of bronze. This was a marble copy of the original piece.
The reason I choose this art piece is because the artist used fine techniques carved out this fabulous piece and the technique has obviously advanced than early periods. The cloth, his hair and his standing pose show they are difficult to create.
Cited: BBC, BBC - History – Augustus. www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/augustus.shtml Chisholm, Kitty and John Ferguson. (1981). Rome: The Augustan Age; A Source Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press, in association with the Open University Press. Nardo, Don. The Age of Augustus. San Diego: Lucent, 1997. Wikipedia, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia