The pose of the statue's legs is similar to Doryphoros. Ara Pacis. Therefore, the Prima Porta statue marks a conscious reversal of iconography to the Greek classical and Hellenistic period, in which youth and strength were valued as signs of leadership, emulating heroes and culminating in Alexander the Great himself. Figure 1. the rest of the body let Apelles represent.. not too white but diffused with blood. Augustus from Prima Porta. Augustus (also known as Octavian) was the first emperor of ancient Rome. Delving further into the composition of the Primaporta statue, a distinct resemblance to Polykleitos’ Doryphoros (figure 2), a Classical Greek sculpture of the fifth century BCE, is apparent. [20] This was a very popular subject in Augustan propaganda, as one of his greatest international successes, and had to be especially strongly emphasized, since Augustus had been deterred by Parthian military strength from the war which the Roman people had expected and had instead opted for diplomacy. Augustus of Primaporta, first century CE. The statue also foretells the 200 year period of peace that Augustus initiated, called the Pax Romana. A figure to one side with a sheathed sword personifies the peoples in the East (and possibly the Teutons) forced to pay tribute to Rome, and one on the other side with an unsheathed sword obviously personifies the subjected peoples (the Celts). https://web.archive.org/web/20130117023249/http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/roman-sculpture.html, CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue-Augustus.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Doryphoros_MAN_Napoli_Inv6011-2.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augusto_di_Prima_Porta,_inv._2290,_03.jpg. Today, politicians think very carefully about how they will be photographed. Augustus is shown in this role of "Imperator", the commander of the army, as thoracatus —or commander-in-chief of the Roman army (literally, thorax-wearer)—meaning the statue should form part of a commemorative monument to his latest victories; he is in military clothing, carrying a consular baton and raising his right hand in a rhetorical adlocutio pose, addressing the troops. The date of the (hypothetical) bronze original is therefore later than 20 BC. Full length statue of the first Roman Emperor. One of Augustus’ most famous portraits is the so-called Augustus of Primaporta of 20 BCE; the sculpture gets its … [9][10] Another copy was painted with a different color scheme for the Tarraco Viva 2014 Festival. Augustus's face is not smoothed and shows details to indicate the individual features of Augustus. The statute Augustus of Primaporta depicts the Roman emperor Octavian, son and heir of Julius Caesar and defeater of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The Augustus of Primaporta is one of the ways that the ancients used art for propagandistic purposes. He is pointing upward and to his right with his right hand as if he were pointing to the land he must now take over. Another full-size statue of Augustus with these "Primaporta type" features is the Augustus of Via Labicana, portraying Augustus in the role of Pontifex Maximus, now in the Museo Nazionale Romano. linnetmoss (2014). The face is idealized, but not as those of Polykleitos' statues. The Augustus of Prima Porta is now displayed in the Braccio Nuovo (New Arm) of the Vatican Museums. The small Cupid (son of Venus) at his feet (riding on a dolphin, Venus's patron animal) is a reference to the claim that the Julian family were descended from the goddess Venus, made by both Augustus and by his great uncle Julius Caesar - a way of claiming divine lineage without claiming the full divine status. The figure in the centre, according to the most common interpretation, is the subjected Parthian king returning Crassus's standard to an armored Roman (possibly Tiberius, or symbolically Mars Ultor). [25], The Prima Porta-type of statues of Augustus became the prevailing representational style for him, copied full-length and in busts in various versions found throughout the empire up until his death in A.D.14. First off, I will start with a formal analysis of the object. [37], The story of gallina alba narrates that after Livia married Octavian an eagle dropped a hen with a laurel branch onto Livia's lap, which the religious authorities of Rome took as a sign of blessing, and divinity. The only active person is the Parthian king, implying that everything else is divinely desired and ordained. Following each conquest, the Romans brought back large amounts of Greek art. From the top, clockwise, we see: Interestingly, the cuirass is not solely frontal; there is a backside to the armor as well. Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker provide a description, historical perspective, and analysis of Augustus of Primaporta. Although they have there similar view points they also have there different ones and … In reality, the copy was commissioned by Livia, his third wife (and his wife at his time of death), to commemorate him. Today, the Vatican Museums have produced a copy of the statue so as to paint it in the theorized original colors, as confirmed when the statue was cleaned in 1999. The imagery on the lorica musculata cuirass (typical of legates[1]) refers to the Parthian restitution of the Roman eagles, or insignia, in 20 BC, one of Augustus’ most significant diplomatic accomplishments. Scholars debate over the identification over each of these figures, but the basic meaning is clear: Augustus has the gods on his side, he is an international military victor, and he is the bringer of the Pax Romana, a peace that encompasses all the lands of the Roman Empire. This hypothesis is based on the fact that Tiberius, who served as an intermediary in the recovery of the eagles, is also depicted on the cuirass. These gods and personifications refer to the Pax Romana. Overall, this statue is not simply a portrait of the emperor, it expresses Augustus’ 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. Finally, Augustus is wearing a cuirass, or breastplate, that is covered with figures that communicate additional propagandistic messages. Figure 3. The marble statue stands 2.08 meters tall and weighs 1,000 kg. [17] This particular hairstyle is used as the first sign identifying this portrait type of Augustus as the Prima Porta type, the second and most popular of three official portrait types: other hairstyles of Augustus may be seen on the Ara Pacis, for example. Augustus of Primaporta, which now sits in the Vatican Museum, is a white marble sculpture of a strong and handsome young man in his armor. Click on the links below to learn more about the statue. And of course, Augustus is the one who is responsible for this abundance throughout the Empire. The copies never showed Augustus looking older, however, but represented him as forever young, in line with his propaganda goals. Augustus employed several forms of artwork and literature to boast the image of the enforcer of the Pax Romana (Roman Peace), alternatively called Pax Augusta. In earlier portraits, Augustus allowed himself to be portrayed in monarchical fashion, but amended these with later more diplomatic images that represented him as "primus inter pares". Recent excavations have discovered the remnants of pots used to plant laurel on the edge of the Prima Porta hill in front of the underground complex, which Reeder believes suggests the possibility of the existence of laurel groves in the villa and makes it likely that the statue was located in the underground complex. [4] Despite the Republican influence in the portrait head, the overall style is closer to Hellenistic idealization than to the realism of Roman portraiture. As this act was the greatest service he had performed for Augustus, the breastplate imagery would remind viewers of Tiberius's connection to the deified emperor and suggest continuity between both reigns. Some believe it may have been a copy of a bronze statue that celebrated his victory over the Parthians in 20 BC. We immediately sense the emperor’s power as the leader of the army and a military conqueror. Augustus of Primaporta is a marble statue of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman empire, that was created in the 1st Century C.E. The dolphin became a symbol of Augustus’ great naval victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, a conquest that made Augustus the sole ruler of the Empire. Coins were one of the most effective ways of spreading propaganda, such as news of decisive battles and changes of ruler, because on such occasions new coins would be minted. Augustus from Prima Porta Discovered in the year 1863, Augustus of Prima Porta is an important marble statue of Augustus Caesar which was located in Villa of Livia at Prima Porta, near Rome and it is one of the regal examples of Imperial Roman statuary. ): [ Another coloured reconstruction, in German], This page was last edited on 18 November 2020, at 22:24. He is standing with his right foot forward and his left foot slightly lifted of the behind him. Augustus Caesar's wife, Livia Drusilla, retired to the villa after his death. Despite the accuracy with which Augustus' features are depicted (with his somber look and characteristic fringe), the distant and tranquil expression of his face has been idealized, as have the conventional contrapposto, the anatomical proportions and the deeply draped paludamentum or "cloth of the commander". On the other hand, Augustus's barefootedness and the inclusion of Cupid riding a dolphin as structural support for the statue reveals his mythical connection to the goddess Venus (Cupid's mother) by way of his adopted father Julius Caesar. From the frontal view, a very detailed scene plays out upon his breastplate. The Augustus of Primaporta is one of the ways that the ancients used art for propagandistic purposes. [9][14] The specific implications of each color chosen for the Prima Porta is unknown; assumedly red for royalty.[9][15][16]. Overall, this statue is not simply a portrait of the emperor, it expresses Augustus’ 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. Created circa 20 C.E., and found in the home of Octavian’s wife Livia at Primaporta, this marble statue today stands in the Musei Vaticani in Rome (Janson 2007b 191). Such a statue's political function was very obvious—to show Rome that the emperor Augustus was an exceptional figure, comparable to the heroes worthy of being raised to divine status on Olympus, and the best man to govern Rome. First, at Augustus’ right leg is cupid figure riding a dolphin. The marble statue was made shortly after Augustus’ death. The Augustus of Primaporta is one of the ways that the ancients used art for propagandistic purposes. Vinzenz Brinkmann und Raimund Wünsche (eds. [35][36] When the visitor walked across the atrium their eyes would meet with Augustus's right hand, thus "receiving" the address that Augustus made. The emperor wears military regalia and his right arm is outstretched, demonstrating that the emperor is addressing his troops. Julius Caesar, the adoptive father of Augustus, claimed to be descended from Venus and therefore Augustus also shared this connection to the gods. [24] The dolphin which Cupid rides has a political significance. Augustus of Primaporta (detail) The dolphin became a symbol of Augustus’ great naval victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, a conquest that made Augustus the sole ruler of the Empire. That is to say that both Augustus and the Spear-Bearer are portrayed as youthful and flawless individuals: they are perfect. One of Augustus’ most famous portraits is the so-called Augustus of Primaporta of 20 BCE; the sculpture gets its name from the town in Italy where it was found. [9] However, due to the ongoing disagreement on the statue's pigmentation there is little information or exploration on the usage of these colors. Both have a similar contrapposto stance and both are idealized. During his lifetime, Augustus did not wish to be depicted as a god (unlike the later emperors who embraced divinity), but this statue has many thinly-veiled references to the emperor's "divine nature", his genius. This beautifully decorated statue, expertly carved in marble from the Greek island of Paros, was discovered 20 April 1863 during archaeological excavations at the villa of the Emperor’s wife, Livia … In fact, in this portrait Augustus shows himself as a great military victor and a staunch supporter of Roman religion. The right leg is taut, while the left leg is relaxed, as if the statue is moving forward. Augustus of Primaporta was sculpted in the early first century during the Julio-Claudians era in Musei Vaticani, Braccio Nuovo, Rome. Augustus of Prima Porta In this paper for World Art class, I will be discussing the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta from three similar view points of authors, taken from art history books. On the sides of the breastplate are female personifications of countries conquered by Augustus. The cupid astride the dolphin sends another message too: that Augustus is … [citation needed] The gods, however, probably all symbolize the continuity and logical consistency of the events - just as the sun and moon forever rise, so Roman successes are certain and divinely sanctioned. After the battle of Actium in 31 BCE Rome became an empire with Augustus, formerly Octavian, at its head. It is almost certain that the Augustus was originally painted, but so few traces remain today (having been lost in the ground and having faded since discovery) that historians have had to fall back on old watercolors and new scientific investigations for evidence. [30] Scholars have noted that if this hypothesis is correct, then Villa of Livia must have been decorated with laurel groves and that the reason of the decoration is the omen of the gallina alba. There was an iron peg that is thought to have connected the statue to a wall. Beneath the female personifications are Apollo and Diana, two major deities in the Roman pantheon; clearly Augustus is favored by these important deities and their appearance here demonstrates that the emperor supports traditional Roman religion.
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