Imperial Roman. Early first century C.E. Marble. Prima Porta, Rome, Italy.
This statue is not simply a portrait of the emperor, it expresses Augustus Caesar’s' connection to the past, his role as a military victor, his connection to the gods, and his role as the bringer of the Roman Peace.
FORM:
Imperial Roman, Early first century C.E., 20 B.C.E
Marble
found in the villa of Livia (his wife), at Primaporta
free standing, sculpture in the round
bas-relief carving on the breastplate
standing contrapposto
most likely a copy of a bronze sculpture, many copies would have been made
CONTENT:
political significance, filled with Roman political ideology
idealized statue of him, very young and attractive
cupid is pulling down his garment at his ankle, symbolizing his own divine lineage
the cuirass, or breastplate depicts the god of the sky and the goddess of the Earth, divine convergence, on its sides there are female personifications of the nations conquered by Rome (specifically by Augustus)
the sun god and sky god (Sol and Caelus) are at the top of the cuirass, and therefore shine down on all these parts of the empire spreading Roman glory and light
his prestige is awarded by the use of elements from Ancient Greece
wearing army garb and has his hand out, not just an orator...he is addressing his troops who will go and conquer
perfect/flawless flake and body, athletic, young
unlike early Hellenistic statue he is very still, calm and stately, with little movement
barefoot goes against typical statues of the time and makes it more naturalistic and divine
wears a tunic which at this point in history was associated to the deified Julius Caesar
CONTEXT:
Augustus claimed to be reestablishing the senate, but in reality, he is just trying to stabilize the Roman government so he could establish himself as Rome's first real emperor
in the previous historical period (the Roman Republic) had an age requirement, an old council of elders, and it was ruled by the senate, but in the Imperial Roman period Augustus was the sole ruler
utilizes the "Canon" of proportions and his statue is reminiscent of Athens during the age of Pericles (5th century BC), Polykleitos’ Doryphoros
the Cupid is a significant choice because Caesar Augustus claims his ancestors are: Aeneas (founder of Rome and son of Venus, hence the Cupid) and Julius Caesar (made into a god)
Cupid rides a dolphin which symbolizes Augustus’ win in the Battle of Actium (31 BCE) using naval power over Antony and Cleopatra, a victory making Augustus emperor
named after the Italian town it was discovered in (1863)
after his reign he created 200 years of peace (pax romana) so this statue is a precursor
serenity of peace and even chosen imagery on breastplate (no battle scene) reflect how he recently ended civil wars
doesn't have anything like sun rays or specific qualities of a god like Alexander would have had, Augustus refused to be deified or called a dictator to keep the guise of the republic and not make the people envious
FUNCTION:
served as a portrait of her husband considering it was found in her home
there would have been many bronze copies distributed around Rome, and put in public places as a type of propaganda
the statues showed the positive qualities, what he looked like (no photos so commoners wouldn't even know what the Emperor looked like), it shows how he wanted to portray himself to the people in a godlike way
one scene on the breastplate depicts the Romans getting back their standards from the Parthians, showing Rome's superiority and power
"visual propaganda" demonstrating Augustus' military prowess and the Religion of Rome
