Portrait Bust of Gauis Julius Caesar

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Portrait Bust of Gauis Julius Caesar

Place of OriginAncient Rome

Dateabout 100

Dimensions14 x 7 in. (35.6 x 17.8 cm)

Mediumwhite Italian marble

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1961.21

Not on View

Label TextGaius Julius Caesar (100–44 B.C.E.) was one of the greatest politicians and generals of Republican Rome. His assassination on the Ides of March (March 15) ushered in a decade of civil war out of which Caesar’s adopted son, Augustus, emerged to become the first Roman emperor. Although many sculpted heads of Caesar survive, most, including this one, were carved after his death. These posthumous sculptures, interestingly, bear almost no resemblance to portraits of Caesar from his life. How can we explain this? Notice the similar appearances shared by the clipeate (shield) portrait of Augustus to the left and this bust of Caesar. In the Roman Empire, portraiture was used as a way for rulers to claim descent from earlier, powerful figures. TMA’s marble, therefore, is probably a piece of propaganda intended to demonstrate that Augustus and his successors were the rightful heirs to Julius Caesar’s power.Published References

Kunstwerke der Antike, Münzen und Medaillen, Basel, May 13, 1961, p. 17, lot 22.

Mattusch, Carol C., Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples, Washington, DC, National Gallery of Art, 2008, pp. 90, 91, fig. 4, repr. (col.).

Exhibition HistoryWashington, DC, National Gallery of Art; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pompeii: and the Roman villa: art and culture around the Bay of Naples, 2008-09, no.4, p. 90-91, 333 n1, repr. (col.).

Toledo Museum of Art, Shakespeare's Characters: Playing the Part, September 2, 2016-January 8, 2017.