Rome in Technicolor: Statuary & Busts

Before beginning this week's blog, I wanted to comment that it's been such a privilege to meet and get to know authors both at conferences, signings, and online. To have such fantastic writers as guests on my blog is humbling and a true delight. I also love writing blogs myself, since it's a way to comment more in-depth about material pertaining to my books. Please... should anyone have a topic they'd like to see covered, don't hesitate to ask! And now, let's take a look at the statues and busts!

This week, we're going to meet some of my book's characters face to face, as we observe some common things to look for in Roman statury and busts.

In mosaics and wall-paintings, even common people could often afford such decor within their domestic or business space. However, when it comes to portraiture, it was usually just the rich and famous who were favored with such art. Eve d'Ambra, in her excellent book, Roman Art (1998) stated, "Commissioning and erecting a portrait was a serious political act. To be awarded a portrait erected in the city center at public expense would mark the culmination of a career studded with civic honors and achievements carried out under intense scrutiny and in keen competition."

That being said, there was also a market for private portraiture, and wealthy Romans often made use of this avenue to grace their homes and leave likenesses of themselves for posterity.

Since my story begins toward the end of the Roman Republic, I want to start by covering Roman Republican likenesses. The thing to look for in Republican Roman statues and busts is VERISM--realism. Are there wrinkles, warts, blemishes? Does it look as though it really is a real-life portrait? The picture above right is Pompeius Magnus, Caesar's great rival who was defeated at Pharsalus. Note that he looks like just another guy off of the streets. His hair is tousled, and there are lines of middle age around his mouth and on his forehead. Here's a man who was one of Rome's most celebrated generals and Republican portraiture did what it always purported to do. It humbled him, making him ordinary.

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• This fine gentleman stands inside the Palazzo Massimo Museum in Rome. I've always been a fan of this museum, as it's one of the few museums in the city that is NOT as crowded during the summer season, which is usually the only time I'm able to travel abroad. 

It's likely this statue could have been awarded by the state to whoever this guy was. It's believed he was a military man, because of the magnificent cloak wrapped about him. Even from a distance, one can see the verism in his face. He's middle-aged, and there are age lines there. He is built well... muscular, and I find myself wondering what his right arm may have been holding. A military standard or pilum, perhaps? Or perhaps he was simply gesturing as though orating? This statue is un-named, but dates to the 1st century BC. He sure looks commanding!

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Whenever I go to Rome, it's always fun to come face to face with my book's characters. Behold Marcus Tullius Cicero!

Again, look at the verism. A magnificent, receding hairline, deep lines on his forehead and around his mouth. And my favorite... look at the crinkles on the sides of his eyes. This has to be one of my all-time favorite busts, because he looks as though he's thinking very deeply about his next words in the Senate.

​What most people don't realize is that busts and statuary were no different than wall-paintings or mosaics. Though you can't tell here--they were all brilliantly painted and life-like.  

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​Probably the first statue one sees at the Palazzo Massimo in Rome is this phenomenal Athena from the late Republican Period (60's-40's BC). And another superb thing about this cult statue is that the paint job SURVIVED! By some miracle we at least get a glimmer of what a painted statue may have looked like two-thousand years ago. And the detail is stunning. The goddess's eyes are piercing and she's crowned with dark hair, as many Greek maidens undoubtedly were.

More and more, as I visit ancient sites and have opportunity to view ancient art, such as this, I see scholars seeking to determine what colors various statuary once were, so that recreations can be made. When few traces of paint are visible, this is done with the use of lasers. Amazingly enough, some statuary still has traces of paint, or like this incredible Athena, the paint has miraculously survived.

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Another of the most famous statues of Roman art has to be the Prima Porta Augustus. Prima Porta is located just outside of Rome, and Livia, Augustus's wife owned a lovely villa there. This statue of her husband (Octavian Caesar, for my readers) was discovered inside. ​It now abides within the overcrowded and oft-times difficult to access Vatican Museum, but is worth seeing. Some years ago, it was scrutinized by scholars, seeking to discover what its paint-job might have looked like. This recreation on the right is what they came up with. It also led me to changing Octavian's hair color in my story from blond to reddish-blond.

It makes me wonder whether generals always painted their breastplates. For those of you who enjoy scholarly reading and hunger for more about the Roman world--specifically the Augustan period, be sure to pick up Paul Zanker's The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. It's  loaded with the meanings and symbolism that Octavian (the original spin-doctor) used in his propaganda.

Sculpture during Augustus's reign changed dramatically. It really doesn't matter whether you visit museums in Egypt, Rome, Greece, Israel, or Croatia. Throughout the entire Roman world, there was one likeness of Octavian Augustus which never aged throughout his reign. My husband, who openly admits he's no expert on Roman art can now walk inside a museum anywhere in the world and point out a bust of Augustus! There's one treasue inside the Capitoline Museum that I personally love to view whenever I visit. It's a bust of Octavian as a very young man. In fact, he's sporting a beard, so it may have been sculpted right after Caesar's assassination. It's the only likeness of him I've seen that is veristic, prior to his spin on sculpture.

Augustus started a trend in Roman art. From about 30 BC onward, verism took a backseat to the youthful, Greek-like portraiture of the Julio-Claudian Age and lasted well into the mid-1st century AD. No more wrinkles, warts, and blemishes. From then on, it was viral handsome men, feminine, lovely women... and they were never portrayed as "aged".

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​In the mid to later Imperial Period, styles of statuary seemed to revert back a ways to the late Republic. Again, verism became important, but one of the tricks to determing a statues age (unless it was an older piece that was  reworked, of course), is by looking at the eyes. In this bust of Caracalla, note that his pupils have been carefully drilled. That's usually a sign that a bust or statue is of a later date. 

Caracalla is another Emperor of Rome who's fairly easy to recognize. When I studied Roman Art while working on my Masters, I was told to "look for the X on his face!" That was the trademark of Caracalla.  And if you're still looking it's right in the middle, where his eyes and nose join. One can easily tell what type of guy he was. He's the Emperor who has successfully made it through history as perpetually pissed-off!

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For a final sample, I wanted to share another personal favorite. Here is Commodus, the Emperor so delightfully played by Joachim Phoenix in Gladiator. Though he did sometimes fancy himself as a gladiator. When you're fairly insane and you're the Emperor of the world's most powerful nation, you can pretty much pretend to be whatever you want.

Sometime during his 2nd century AD rule, Commodus had himself memorialized as Hercules. There's plenty of outstanding symbolism here, showing who he was imitating. Atop his head is the lion skin, with it's paws on his chest. And of course, he's carrying a club. 

These later works from the Imperial court often show the artist's unbelieveable talent, as is the case here. Housed inside another favorite museum of mine--the Capitoline, visitors are able to walk right up into Commodus's face and get pretty much as close as one dares. It's the Bernini-like chiseling and depth perception in this bust that astounds me. Every curl has been articulately carved and the detail is mind-blowing. And it's so polished and shimmery. In such pristine condition, it's hard to imagine that it's as old as it is.

So, I'll stop here, hoping you've enjoyed this little tour of Roman statues and busts. Do let me know if you have ideas or subjects you'd like me to touch upon in the near future.

Next week, we'll get to hear from one of the world's most PROLIFIC authors. Griff Hosker is a master of writing historic adventures and has touched upon many periods. We'll be introduced to his most recent project, which I'm sure some of you will want to pick up.

Have a great week and READ ON!

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