DiscussionPortrait head of emperor with sideburns (Gratian or Honorius?). Augusta Treverorum (Belgica II). Late fourth to early fifth century. DESCRIPTION (Object)Over life-size head. H: 38.5 cm. White marble. The head is broken through the upper part of the neck. (The head is currently set on a small modern bust). In the diadem and eyes stones or coloured glass were once inserted and are now missing. The back of the head and the nose are missing, and the mouth is battered. The hair is engraved in parallel wavy lines made with a fine flat chisel. PROVENANCE Found near the Basilica in the courtyard of the imperial palace in 1898. DESCRIPTION (Subject) The head shows an emperor with a youthful face, long side burns that almost reach the chin, combed-forward hair, and a diadem. The diadem consists of alternating rectangular and oval areas which are separated by three vertically-placed round stones. It does not have an upper and lower pearl-edged border. The fringe falls low on the brow and crosses it evenly; the ends of the straight locks all turn to the proper right. Above the diadem the strands are undulating. In front of each ear descends a long side burn that consists of full curling locks. The face lacks any marked signs of age. The cheekbones are high and broadly spaced. The eyes are long and have almost straight lower lids. The cheeks taper to a deep chin, the rounded upper edge of which is defined. The mouth has a pouting lower lip. IDENTIFICATION The diadem identifies the portrait as an Emperor. The hairstyle and diadem make a date between the mid-fourth and early-fifth century possible. The precise identification has depended on interpretations of the facial hair and the technical style, and there are two principal identifications. Delbrueck presented the head as Gratian. The basis for his identification was; (1) Gratian resided at Trier; (2) numismatic evidence showed Gratian with long sideburns; (3) the physiognomy is different than that of the Constantinian emperors and the Theodosian emperors. Most recently, Loscheider has returned to the Gratian identification on the grounds of the prevalence of sideburns in the numismatic issues of Gratian. Stichel 49-51and Meischner have championed the Honorius identification. This argument depends on the dated Aosta diptych of AD 405-406 which shows Honorius with similar facial hair. Furthermore, the fine engraving of the hair recalls stylistically that of the emperor found at Beyazit who is generally identified as Arcadius, LSA-337. Both identifications are possible. Two less discussed further considerations are the unusual form of the diadem and the rendering of the eyes. The vertical elements of the diadem and no pearl boarder occur in two, possibly three, other imperial heads: one is in porphyry and comes from Istanbul (LSA-454), another is from Tusculum (now Copenhagen, LSA-758), and LSA-2119 is a small-scale porphyry example. These heads are all later than Gratian. The hollow to receive a round insert in the eyes is a western tendency (see LSA-755, LSA-756, LSA-757, LSA-758, LSA-831, et al.). Thus stylistic arguments should focus on western production and avoid comparison to the Beyazit head , LSA-337. Main ReferenceDemandt, A. and J. Engemann, (eds.), Konstantin der Grosse, Mainz 2007, no. I.16.1 (R. Loscheider: Gratian) Delbrueck, R., Spätantike Kaiserporträts. Von Constantinus Magnus bis zum Ende des Westreichs , Leipzig 1933, 193-4, pls. 90-91(Gratian) Discussion ReferencesEnsoli, S. and E. La Rocca (eds.), Aurea Roma: dalla città pagana alla città cristiana, Roma 2000, 546, no. 196 (R. Loscheider: Gratian) Meischner, J. 'Studien zur spätantiken Kaiserikonographie', Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 110, Berlin 1995, 444-6, figs.12-16 (Honorius) Meischner, J., 'Das Porträt der theodosianischen Epoche II (400 bis 460 n. Chr.),' , Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, 106 (1991), 385-407, pl.93.1 Stichel, R. H. W., Die römische Kaiserstatue am Ende der Antike, Roma 1982, 49-51, pls. 13-14 (Honorius) |
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