Grand Tour Italian Antique Marble Bust Sculpture "Young Caesar Augustus"

GRAND TOUR MARBLE BUST OF THE YOUNG CAESAR AUGUSTUS

Italian, circa 1860 to 1880

22" H x 9" D x 12 1/2" W

A finely carved white marble bust thought to represent the young Augustus prior to becoming the founder of the Roman Empire and the first emperor of Rome in 27 B.C. through his death in A.D. 14. It is modeled after the ancient Roman imperial portrait of the first century B.C. held in the permanent collection of the Vatican Museum. The emperor is presented with the composed, idealized features associated with Augustan portraiture, his hair arranged in carefully articulated locks across the forehead above a smooth, youthful face. The shoulders are broadly truncated in the classical manner and set upon a turned marble socle.

The quality of the carving is particularly evident in the restrained modeling of the face and the crisp treatment of the hair balanced by the softly polished surfaces of the flesh.

Condition: Old discolored and well-patinated surface with grime in recesses. Minor chips and abrasions. Sealed in wax. Ready to place.

ref. 607JBP01Z