Thursday, January 4, 2018
People of Pompeii
7:52pm

Last summer, I didn't share many photos from the Pompeii exhibit, except for two, this one among them:

Male Bust
Bronze and glass, 1st century BCE
Pompeii, House of the Citharist

(From the info card): "Two busts, one male and one female, were found together at the House of the Citharist and likely portray the owners of the house, belonging to one of the oldest and most influential families in Pompeii. We cannot be sure whether this couple was still alive when this portrait was displayed in the atrium, but we do know that it would have been important to be lifelike. Roman portraits were made for reflection, and sculptors were to capture a person's character."

Here's both of the busts:

Female Bust
Bronze and glass, 1st century BCE
Pompeii, House of the Citharist


Slightly less reflections in this photo...

Honorary Statue of a Male Figure Wearing a Toga
Marble, 1st Century CE, Pompeii
Archaeological Museum in Naples
(From the info card) "The statue shows a man in a toga holding a papyrus scroll in his hand, standing in the classic pose of a Roman orator. His features are strong, but severe - typical of Roman portraiture during this time."


Statue of Caligula
Marble, 1st century CE, Pompeii
(From the info card) "This statue of the Roman Emperor Caligula 12 CE - 41 CE was created post-mortem, after his assassination. He is depicted larger than life and in the likeness of the god Mars Ultor. Caligula had many ties to Pompeii, including his mother Agrippina the Elder."


Portrait Bust of a Young Woman
White Marble, Red Paint
Pompeii, House of the Citharist

(From the info card) "Scholars believe this bust is of Agrippina the Elder, mother of the Roman Emperor Caligula. This attribution was made through comparisons of royal portraiture and coins minted in her likeness. Evidence further points to Agrippina the Elder through her distinctive hairstyle. The complex knot of braids, overlapping curls, and the classical central part was her hallmark. As she was known through out Rome as a great woman, women mimicked her likeness. This sculpture still has remnants of red paint that once covered the hair."


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