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heroic nude bronze of Emperor Trebonianus Gallus - The Met
Bronze statue of the emperor Trebonianus Gallus
Roman, AD 251-253. Said to have been found near the church of Saint John the Lateran in Rome. Rogers Fund, 1905 (05.30)
This monumental bronze statue portrays Trebonianus Gallus, who was emperor in AD 251-253.
As one of the very few nearly complete Roman bronze statues of the third century preserved today, it is a reminder that many of the disembodied portrait heads displayed in museums were once part of freestanding sculptures whose original appearance may have be quite different.
In this case, the portrait head is a close likeness to the emperor's image as seen on his coinage, with the close-cropped hair and beard favored by the soldier emperors of the third century AD.
But the austere realism of his portrait is in start contrast to the way the statue as a whole presents Trebonianus, for he is portrayed in full heroic nudity.
The emperor likely would have cradled a parazonium, or short sword, in his left arm, and held a spear in his upraised right hand. The pose, which recalls the famous statue of Alexander the Great with the Lance by Lysippos, also would have emphasized the idealistic treatment of the imperial image.
The statue has undergone several campaigns of restoration since its discovery in the early nineteenth century and was examined in great detail as part of the conservation treatment in preparation for its display in the present installation. Visual examination inside and out, combined with x-radiography, made possible the clear identificationof ancient and resorted areas. At least three-quarters of the statue is ancient. Despite the apparent discrepancy in scale, the head belongs to the body. Although the mantle draped over the left shoulder is a modern restoration, cast edges beneath it confirm that the statue had a similar embellishment in antiquity. The left foot with its elaborately decorated open-fronted boot appears to be ancient but may not belong.
Roman, AD 251-253. Said to have been found near the church of Saint John the Lateran in Rome. Rogers Fund, 1905 (05.30)
This monumental bronze statue portrays Trebonianus Gallus, who was emperor in AD 251-253.
As one of the very few nearly complete Roman bronze statues of the third century preserved today, it is a reminder that many of the disembodied portrait heads displayed in museums were once part of freestanding sculptures whose original appearance may have be quite different.
In this case, the portrait head is a close likeness to the emperor's image as seen on his coinage, with the close-cropped hair and beard favored by the soldier emperors of the third century AD.
But the austere realism of his portrait is in start contrast to the way the statue as a whole presents Trebonianus, for he is portrayed in full heroic nudity.
The emperor likely would have cradled a parazonium, or short sword, in his left arm, and held a spear in his upraised right hand. The pose, which recalls the famous statue of Alexander the Great with the Lance by Lysippos, also would have emphasized the idealistic treatment of the imperial image.
The statue has undergone several campaigns of restoration since its discovery in the early nineteenth century and was examined in great detail as part of the conservation treatment in preparation for its display in the present installation. Visual examination inside and out, combined with x-radiography, made possible the clear identificationof ancient and resorted areas. At least three-quarters of the statue is ancient. Despite the apparent discrepancy in scale, the head belongs to the body. Although the mantle draped over the left shoulder is a modern restoration, cast edges beneath it confirm that the statue had a similar embellishment in antiquity. The left foot with its elaborately decorated open-fronted boot appears to be ancient but may not belong.
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