Aged Marcus Aurelius

Aged Marcus Aurelius.jpg

Title

Aged Marcus Aurelius

Date

Roman imperial Antonine, c. 180 CE

Artist or Workshop

unknown

Materials

marble

Height of the work

35cm tall (estimated)

Provenience

House of the Vestals, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy

Current Location

Museo Nazionale delle Terme, Rome, Italy

Sitter Biography

Marcus Aurelius (b. 121 d. 180 CE) was co-emperor of Rome, with Lucius Verus, from 160-169 CE, and sole emperor from 169-180 CE, succeeding his adoptive father, Antoninus Pius. He was also a philosopher of some renown, writing the Meditations, a statement of his Stoic philosophy.  Marcus Aurelius died of natural causes on a military campaign against Germanic tribes, and was succeeded as emperor by his son Commodus.

Description and Significance

Description:

Statue is a life-sized bust (only head is original) of the philosopher-emperor.  Marcus is wearing the full beard that features in all his adult imperial portraits.  The hair is thick and curly, swept up from his forehead.  There is slight hint of a "widow's peak" at the crown. The expression is sombre, with downcast, fully incised eyes and heavy eyelids  The forehead is lined and overall face appears middle-aged.

Significance:

This portrait bust conforms to "Type 4" of the bearded mature Marcus Aurleius.  It marks a return to Roman verism, which excelled at purely mimetic depictions of old age, but with added psychological depth.  The age of the portrait appears to match the age of Marcus Aurelius at the time (around 59 years old).  The downcast look and unfocused gaze gives the subject an introspective, almost haunted expression that is outstanding in Roman portrait sculpture. Here is a definitive portrait of Marcus Aurlieus as "philosopher king"--the stoic sage contemplating the future of the state from the vantage point of his advanced years and philospical detachment.

References

Bouzek, Jan. "Artistic and Literary Portraits as Expressions of
    Changing State of Mind," Roman Portraits Artistic and Literary
    Acts of the Third International Conference on the Roman
    Portrait
, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1989, pp. 101-103.

Fittschen, Klaus and Paul Zanker. 
Katalog der romischen
    Portrats in den Capitolischen Museen und den anderen
    kommunalen Sammlungen der Stadt Rom.
Band 1, Verlag
    Philipp von Zabern, 1985, pp. 68-72.

Kleiner, Diana. Roman Sculpture, Yale University Press, 1992,
    pp.271-3.

Contributor

Mark Weadon

Citation

unknown, “Aged Marcus Aurelius,” Digital Portrait "Basket" - ARTH488A - "Ancient Mediterranean Portraiture", accessed November 22, 2024, https://classicalchopped2.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/52.

Item Relations

This item has no relations.