17
UNKNOWN ITALIAN ARTIST Florentine
Bust ofEmperor Commodus
paludamentum, or cloak. A large vertical fold
earls of Carlisle, Castle Howard, Yorkshire (sold,
at the lower left of the chest has been carved sep
Sotheby's, Castle Howard, 11-13 November
arately and attached with a pin. The pattern
1991, lot 49); Edric van Vredenburgh, Ltd., Lon
of weathering and aging on the attached piece of
don, sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum, 1992.
Second half o f the 16th century
drapery is identical to that on the rest of the
Marble
chest. Therefore, i f this attachment was added
H (without socle): 70 cm (27/2 in.) cm (24 in.)
w:
61
D:
22.8 cm (9 in.)
EXHIBITIONS
None.
as a repair, it was done soon after the creation of the bust, before weathering of the surface oc
BIBLIOGRAPHY
curred. Substantial portions of the back of
J. Dallaway, Anecdotes of the Arts in England
the bust and crevices of the hair, mouth, eyelids,
(London, 1800), 196; J. P. Neale, Yorkshire Seats
H (socle): 22.5 cm (8% in.)
and drapery on the front were covered with a
([London?], 1829-30), 4; G. F. Waagen, Trea
92.SA.48
white-colored lime layer containing calcium car
sures of Art in Great Britain, vol. 3 (London,
bonate, an organic binder (either milk, plant
1854), 331; A. Michaelis, Ancient Marbles in Great
MARKS A N D I N S C R I P T I O N S
None.
extracts, honey, or egg white), and possibly either
Britain (Cambridge, 1882), 329; M . Wegner,
pozzolana or brick powder. The lime wash may
"Verzeichnis der Kaiserbildnisse von Antoninus
have been applied as a maintenance coating to
Pius bis Commodus, 11. Teil," Boreas 3 (1980):
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
protect the marble and enhance its appearance.
81; J. J. Bernoulli, Romische Ikonographie, vol. 2,
The surface of the marble is generally in good
When the bust was cleaned, all traces of the lime
Die Bildnisse der romischen Kaiser, vol. 2
condition. There is evidence of damage from
wash on its front were removed. Isotopic analysis
(Stuttgart, 1981), pt. 2, 233, no. 47; C. Matthew,
weathering, however, especially on the front of
in 1993 suggested that the marble was quarried
"Buy Buy Brideshead," World of Interiors,
1
the bust, in the nose, left forehead, neck, fibula,
from Turkey and that the bust was carved from
September 1991,101, fig. 5; "Acquisitions/1992,"
front right side of the hair, and drapery fringe.
a different block of marble than both the socle
/ Paul Getty Museum Journal 21 (1993): 147,
Areas of the surface may have been repolished.
and the attached piece of drapery.
no. 74; P. Fusco, Summary Catalogue of European
PROVENANCE
Angeles, 1997), 72.
2
Sculpture in the J . Paul Getty Museum (Los
There are minor chips and abrasions in several areas of the hair and garment. Larger losses can be found on the front of the drapery, such
Probably acquired by Henry Howard (1694-
as on the upper edge of the top fold of the
1758), fourth earl of Carlisle, for Castle Howard, Yorkshire; by descent in the collection of the
T H I S M A R B L E BUST represents Lucius Aelius Aurelius, the
(FIGS. 17B — E ) . The Getty and Vatican portraits are identi
elder son o f Marcus Aurelius, who was born i n A . D . 161 and
cal i n the arrangement of the hair, the treatment of the beard
reigned as sole emperor from A . D . 180 to 192. The young
and mustache, the slight turn o f the head toward the proper
3
5
emperor changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus
right, and the direction o f the gaze into the distance. The
Antoninus upon his accession. Commodus, who considered
sculptor of the Getty portrait altered the physiognomy, how
himself to be the incarnation o f Hercules, was assassinated
ever, making the cheeks and nose thinner, elongating the
after appearing to the public as consul and gladiator. The
neck, and emphasizing the heavy, half-closed eyelids to give
bust portrays the emperor as a young man, with full curls,
the face a sleepier, dreamier appearance than that o f the
short beard, and mustache. He is clothed i n a tunic and a
Vatican marble. Also, the back o f the Getty head is more
fur-trimmed paludamentum, which is fastened w i t h a fibula
finished and its hair is better articulated than that of the Vat
at the right shoulder.
ican Commodus. I n areas such as the chest, where the Vati
Despite the formal decree o f damnatio memoriae to
can Commodus did not provide a prototype, the artist o f the
which the infamous emperor was subject after his death,
Getty sculpture provided a substantial, wide, tall bust that
numerous ancient portraits o f Commodus survive. One
terminates i n a sweeping curve.
4
to which the Getty bust is closely related is a marble head
The authenticity o f the Vatican head has never been
of Commodus i n the Vatican Museums, generally dated
questioned, and i t is often considered the prime example
to the early years o f the emperors reign, i n A . D . 180-81
among portraits of Commodus o f this type. Its provenance
128