Ancient Greek (Unknown), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Marble portrait bust of the emperor Gaius, known as Caligula
Artwork Details
Details
- Medium
- Marble
- Size
- H. 20 in. (50.8 cm) length 7 1/16 in. (18 cm)
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Ancient Greek This marble bust portrays Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as Caligula, who ruled Rome from 37 to 41 CE. The sculptor conveyed something of Caligula's vanity and cruelty in the proud turn of the head and thin, pursed lips. It's a surprisingly frank piece of imperial propaganda.
Conservation imaging revealed traces of Egyptian blue pigment on the bust's lower reverse, proving it was originally painted. We see white marble now, but Romans would have seen flesh tones, colored eyes, and painted hair. This discovery is part of a broader reassessment of ancient polychromy led by researchers Vinzenz and Ulrike Koch Brinkmann over four decades.
Caligula reigned only four years before his assassination, making surviving portraits relatively rare. This one entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1914 through the Rogers Fund. It stands in Gallery 162.
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About Marble portrait bust of the emperor Gaius, known as Caligula
Yes. Imaging revealed traces of Egyptian blue pigment on the marble surface. Roman portrait busts were originally painted with flesh tones, colored eyes, and hair. The bare white marble we see today is the result of centuries of paint loss.
It's in Gallery 162 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Met acquired it in 1914 through the Rogers Fund.
Caligula ruled for only four years (37-41 CE) before being assassinated. After his death, many of his portraits were destroyed or recarved into images of later emperors, a practice called damnatio memoriae.
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