Chapter 13



Antoninus Pius sculpture

-Carved around 140

-The emperor is wearing a cuirass and paludamentum

-Pupils were drilled like late Hadrianic portraits

-His mature features are blemishless

-Never aged in his portraits



Faustina the Elder sculpture

-Probably displayed as a pair with Antoninus’s sculpture.

-Her large eyelids are characteristics of other members of the Antonine family.

-Depicted as mature, butt ageless

-Like the women of the Trajanic household, not like the goddess like Sabina

-Mother like image



Marcus Aurelius as Prince

-Carved shortly after the accession of Antoninus Pius

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Similar to the sons of Vespian

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Aged gradually from a young prince to an adult.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The aging process was not arrested when he became emperor.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The painting was probably enhanced with paint.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Marcus Aurelius, nose less sculpture

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Represents Marcus in his mid 20’s

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Sports a close cropped beard

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The eyes are drilled and his coiffure is drilled more evidently

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Faustina the Younger sculpture

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Carved soon after she had given birth but still young looking.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Her coiffure is parted with a bun in the back.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Hair style is closer to Sabina, not Faustina the elder.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Abundant amount of portraiture, because Pius was proud

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Marcus Aurelius as Emperor bust

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Wore his beard longer than Hadrian or Antoninus Pius

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Same coiffure as a prince

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Attired in a cuirass and paludamentum

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Representation of him in his 50’s

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Shadows produced with a drill through his hair and beard.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Marcus Aurelius on horseback

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-statue inspired many renaissance sculptors to show their patrons on horseback

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Most famous gilded bronze statue of Marcus

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-It was mistaken to be Constantine, so it was preserved

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Considerably larger than other statues of riders

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Does not wear battle armor and had his hand out to spare his opponent

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Lucius Verus marble bust

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Dressed in a cuirass and paludamentum

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Similar to Marcus’s portraiture, even though he was younger

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-His hair is fuller, but the drillwork is equally pronounced

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-His mustache is more detached from the beard

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Lucius Verus silver portrait

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Silver and gold portraiture was common, but less of it survives than bronze

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Marble portraits were less expensive copies of portraits made with precious metal

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The introduction of the drill technique made the marble sculptures look better

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The materials made an important statement about the status of the individual

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Commodus as Prince

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-First introduced on coins, then portraiture

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Represented him in a similar manner as Marcus was

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The facial resemblance is probably right because of the blood relation

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Uses the same complicated drill techniques

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Commodus as Hercules

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Commodus was a tyrannical ruler like Nero.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Commodus was commonly represented as Hercules

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-In his left hand is the apples of the Hesperides, which Hercules had to get as his last labor

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Supporting the statue are two kneeling amazons

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Shows the emperor as a source of plenty.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-When Faustina died, Pius erected a temple.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The temple was ordinary in every way, except for dedicating it to Faustina.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-When Antoninus died, his sons dedicated to the worship of their father too

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Engaged couple went to the temple to take oaths of fidelity to Concordia

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Column of Antoninus Pius

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The shaft was not decorated with reliefs, but had a statue on top like trajan’s

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-A relief of the apotheosis of Pius and Faustina is on the base.

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Even though Pius wasn’t dead yet, the sculptor wanted to show them entering heaven together

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The decursio relief break from classical conbention

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-The figures were shown floating on mounds of dirt, which was like freeman art

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Arches of Marcus Aurelius

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Column of Marcus Aurelius