VMFA Caligula
Title
VMFA Caligula
Date
Julio-Claudian, ca. 38 CE
Artist or Workshop
Unknown
Materials
Marble, paint
Height of the work
203.2 cm tall
Provenience
Italy, Rome, Palazzo Colonna Collection, possibly near the Theater of Marcellus
Current Location
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA.
Sitter Biography
Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, known as Caligula, was emperor of Rome from 37-41 CE and successor to his uncle, Tiberius. Caligula, meaning “little boot,” was a nickname coined by the soldiers who witnessed him accompanying his father, Germanicus, in a military encampment. There was much optimism for his reign as a young successor of the Julio-Claudian family tree, and for the first few months as emperor, he was dutiful, even dedicating a temple to the deified Augustus that Tiberius began. After falling ill, however, he soon became increasingly paranoid and despotic. With alleged acts ranging from making his horse, Incitatus (speedy) a member of the senate, to declaring war on Neptune, he certainly is not discussed favorably by ancient sources. In 41 CE, he was assassinated by the Praetorian guard.
Description and Significance
Description:
Caligula stands upright in contrapposto, putting most of his weight on his left foot, while his right foot trails behind. On his feet, he wears the calcei patricii, intricate leather-bound shoes, which indicate his lofty social status. He is adorned with a toga, delicately rendered with many folds, demonstrating the skill of the carver. After study by the VMFA, it has been determined that so little pigment remains on the toga that identification of its style is not conclusive. Even so, what pigment that does remain suggests either a toga praetexta with a broad purple stripe or a toga purpurea featuring imperial purple and a gold border.
The statue has been carved from one piece of marble, rather than a separately carved bust being placed into a stock body. Caligula’s head is turned slightly to the right, likely a visual reference to the Lysippan portrait of Alexander. Caligula’s head is uncovered, distinct from other veiled portrait busts of him that survive. His physiognomy exhibits a number of traditional features of the Claudian gens. He has a long, almost mullet-like hairstyle extending to the neck, a protruding upper lip, and wide cranium. More particular to Caligula are his deep, close-set eyes, straight nose, and high forehead.His hair is arranged in a comma lock pattern that is consistent with other Julio-Claudians. He even has a slight part of the hair nearer to his left eye that is reminiscent of Augustus. This hair configuration confirms this portrait as belonging to the Schloss Fasanerie Type, the main imperial portrait for Caligula.
The statue has been restored by the VMFA though some damage is still visible on the face. There is some chipping on both of his ears, his nose, and underneath his chin. The statue is also missing its arms, and the toes on his fronted, left foot. Separated from the statue in antiquity with a clean cut, the head has been restored, though careful analysis confirms that the body and head belong together.
Significance:
The VMFA Caligula is one of two statues known of the emperor with its head and body still extant; the other was found in the town of Gortyn on Crete. Relatively few portraits of Caligula remain as a result of the unofficial damnatio memoriae carried out against him by his successor and uncle, Claudius. As the first emperor to receive this treatment, Caligula establishes the precedent for the process. A damnatio memoriae necessitates a removal of an individual from public memory of Rome, including a removal from public monuments, alteration of portrait statues, and denial of deification. As a result, most portrait statues of Caligula have either been destroyed or re-carved into portraits of other emperors, usually Claudius or Augustus.
Caligula is represented somewhat modestly in his portrait. He does not have any imperial regalia, nor does he have any religious garb that is attested on coinage and other busts. The only recognizably noble feature of his portrait, aside from the Julio-Claudian hair and other physiognomic features, are his shoes. The portrait is generally rendered in an idealistic style. Suetonius remarks that Caligula was balding and so sensitive about his hair loss that looking down on the emperor was a capital offense. This portrait seems to represent Caligula as a modest princeps, rather than a semi-divine emperor.
Caligula stands upright in contrapposto, putting most of his weight on his left foot, while his right foot trails behind. On his feet, he wears the calcei patricii, intricate leather-bound shoes, which indicate his lofty social status. He is adorned with a toga, delicately rendered with many folds, demonstrating the skill of the carver. After study by the VMFA, it has been determined that so little pigment remains on the toga that identification of its style is not conclusive. Even so, what pigment that does remain suggests either a toga praetexta with a broad purple stripe or a toga purpurea featuring imperial purple and a gold border.
The statue has been carved from one piece of marble, rather than a separately carved bust being placed into a stock body. Caligula’s head is turned slightly to the right, likely a visual reference to the Lysippan portrait of Alexander. Caligula’s head is uncovered, distinct from other veiled portrait busts of him that survive. His physiognomy exhibits a number of traditional features of the Claudian gens. He has a long, almost mullet-like hairstyle extending to the neck, a protruding upper lip, and wide cranium. More particular to Caligula are his deep, close-set eyes, straight nose, and high forehead.His hair is arranged in a comma lock pattern that is consistent with other Julio-Claudians. He even has a slight part of the hair nearer to his left eye that is reminiscent of Augustus. This hair configuration confirms this portrait as belonging to the Schloss Fasanerie Type, the main imperial portrait for Caligula.
The statue has been restored by the VMFA though some damage is still visible on the face. There is some chipping on both of his ears, his nose, and underneath his chin. The statue is also missing its arms, and the toes on his fronted, left foot. Separated from the statue in antiquity with a clean cut, the head has been restored, though careful analysis confirms that the body and head belong together.
Significance:
The VMFA Caligula is one of two statues known of the emperor with its head and body still extant; the other was found in the town of Gortyn on Crete. Relatively few portraits of Caligula remain as a result of the unofficial damnatio memoriae carried out against him by his successor and uncle, Claudius. As the first emperor to receive this treatment, Caligula establishes the precedent for the process. A damnatio memoriae necessitates a removal of an individual from public memory of Rome, including a removal from public monuments, alteration of portrait statues, and denial of deification. As a result, most portrait statues of Caligula have either been destroyed or re-carved into portraits of other emperors, usually Claudius or Augustus.
Caligula is represented somewhat modestly in his portrait. He does not have any imperial regalia, nor does he have any religious garb that is attested on coinage and other busts. The only recognizably noble feature of his portrait, aside from the Julio-Claudian hair and other physiognomic features, are his shoes. The portrait is generally rendered in an idealistic style. Suetonius remarks that Caligula was balding and so sensitive about his hair loss that looking down on the emperor was a capital offense. This portrait seems to represent Caligula as a modest princeps, rather than a semi-divine emperor.
References
Kleiner, D. E. E. 1994. Roman Sculpture. New Haven. pp. 126-129.
Jucker, Hans 1973. “Caligula.” Translated by Pinkney L. Near. Arts in Virginia 13 (2): 16-25.
Ternbach, Joseph. 1973. “Further Comments on ‘Caligula.’” Arts in Virginia 14 (2): 29-32.
Varner, Eric R. 2000. “Tyranny and the Transformation of the Roman Visual Landscape” in From Caligula to Constantine Tyranny & Transformation in Roman Portraiture. pp. 9-12.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. 1973. Ancient Art in the Virginia Museum. Richmond, VA. pp. 122-123.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “Caligula: Preserving the Past.” https://www.vmfa.museum/mlit/caligula-conserving-past-2/
Jucker, Hans 1973. “Caligula.” Translated by Pinkney L. Near. Arts in Virginia 13 (2): 16-25.
Ternbach, Joseph. 1973. “Further Comments on ‘Caligula.’” Arts in Virginia 14 (2): 29-32.
Varner, Eric R. 2000. “Tyranny and the Transformation of the Roman Visual Landscape” in From Caligula to Constantine Tyranny & Transformation in Roman Portraiture. pp. 9-12.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. 1973. Ancient Art in the Virginia Museum. Richmond, VA. pp. 122-123.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “Caligula: Preserving the Past.” https://www.vmfa.museum/mlit/caligula-conserving-past-2/
Contributor
Jonathan Clark
Citation
Unknown, “VMFA Caligula,” Digital Portrait "Basket" - ARTH488A - "Ancient Mediterranean Portraiture", accessed May 20, 2024, https://classicalchopped2.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/41.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.