DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0724
686 SCULPTURE UNDER ROMAN DOMINION.
six bronze busts (five of Romans, and one of Julia, daughter of Titus), all of
which seem at some time to have been carefully secreted. Nearly the whole sur-
face of the beautiful Brescia statue shows oxidation ; but that it once was gilded,
like many of the busts, is shown by marks of gold still left on the right hand,
and on the band around her head. All that was missing was the base, the hel-
met under her feet, and the stilus in her right hand.1286 The right arm, and a
part of the left wing, which were broken off, were readily re-adjusted, so that
the statue gives us an excellent idea of the grace of a bronze work not tam-
pered with by modern restoration. Her graceful cliiton drops from her shoulder,
and falls in beautiful lines about her form, which only in places has suffered
lesions, and is exquisitely reflected through the folds. This figure is probably
a variation on an older Aphrodite type, as appears from the pose frequently
met with in figures of that goddess, the most familiar being the Venus of
Melos; but especially is the resemblance to the Aphrodite type seen in the
earnest and beautiful face.I287 On this older type the master has skilfully
varied, by draping her fully, putting into her hands the shield, upon which she
writes, and by adjusting to her drapery the large wings, poising well the figure,
thus transforming the goddess of love into a Victory. Close inspection reveals
silver laurel-leaves inlaid in the band circling her gracefully bended head, and
giving still deeper significance to the goddess recording triumph.
From Trajan's rich reign, when sculpture had so much life, reaching a
height of realism scarcely equalled again, we pass on to consider the monu-
ments of Hadrian's time (i 17-138 A.D.). Perhaps no Roman emperor was so
generous a patron of the arts as this great successor of Trajan. He is said
to have taken about with him an army of sculptors on all his expeditions.
And the number of portraits of him, found throughout the vast extent of the
Roman dominion, testify to the amount accomplished. Very costly materials
were now employed, and great stress laid upon extreme finish and polish.
There seems to have been a revulsion against the realistic triumphal scenes
of the preceding reign, which are supplanted, for the most part, by a diligent
copying of older works in an academic spirit. This spirit is evident in the
statues of Hadrian's favorite, Antinous, a Bithynian youth, who was said to
have lost his life for the emperor, in the Nile. After him a city was named;
to him, throughout the empire, temples were built, and statues erected which
bore the attributes of the gods, and were objects of worship. No less than
nineteen statues of this beautiful youth exist, besides many busts.1288 One
celebrated relief (Fig. 289) in the Villa Albani, which alone was returned by
Napoleon after his despoiling of that gallery, shows an attempt to idealize por-
trait-features, and also the elegance of the age: but all naturalistic details are
smoothed away to empty regularity; the marble docs not live, but is left cold
and shiny. In this slightly bended head, surrounded by rich, curling locks
six bronze busts (five of Romans, and one of Julia, daughter of Titus), all of
which seem at some time to have been carefully secreted. Nearly the whole sur-
face of the beautiful Brescia statue shows oxidation ; but that it once was gilded,
like many of the busts, is shown by marks of gold still left on the right hand,
and on the band around her head. All that was missing was the base, the hel-
met under her feet, and the stilus in her right hand.1286 The right arm, and a
part of the left wing, which were broken off, were readily re-adjusted, so that
the statue gives us an excellent idea of the grace of a bronze work not tam-
pered with by modern restoration. Her graceful cliiton drops from her shoulder,
and falls in beautiful lines about her form, which only in places has suffered
lesions, and is exquisitely reflected through the folds. This figure is probably
a variation on an older Aphrodite type, as appears from the pose frequently
met with in figures of that goddess, the most familiar being the Venus of
Melos; but especially is the resemblance to the Aphrodite type seen in the
earnest and beautiful face.I287 On this older type the master has skilfully
varied, by draping her fully, putting into her hands the shield, upon which she
writes, and by adjusting to her drapery the large wings, poising well the figure,
thus transforming the goddess of love into a Victory. Close inspection reveals
silver laurel-leaves inlaid in the band circling her gracefully bended head, and
giving still deeper significance to the goddess recording triumph.
From Trajan's rich reign, when sculpture had so much life, reaching a
height of realism scarcely equalled again, we pass on to consider the monu-
ments of Hadrian's time (i 17-138 A.D.). Perhaps no Roman emperor was so
generous a patron of the arts as this great successor of Trajan. He is said
to have taken about with him an army of sculptors on all his expeditions.
And the number of portraits of him, found throughout the vast extent of the
Roman dominion, testify to the amount accomplished. Very costly materials
were now employed, and great stress laid upon extreme finish and polish.
There seems to have been a revulsion against the realistic triumphal scenes
of the preceding reign, which are supplanted, for the most part, by a diligent
copying of older works in an academic spirit. This spirit is evident in the
statues of Hadrian's favorite, Antinous, a Bithynian youth, who was said to
have lost his life for the emperor, in the Nile. After him a city was named;
to him, throughout the empire, temples were built, and statues erected which
bore the attributes of the gods, and were objects of worship. No less than
nineteen statues of this beautiful youth exist, besides many busts.1288 One
celebrated relief (Fig. 289) in the Villa Albani, which alone was returned by
Napoleon after his despoiling of that gallery, shows an attempt to idealize por-
trait-features, and also the elegance of the age: but all naturalistic details are
smoothed away to empty regularity; the marble docs not live, but is left cold
and shiny. In this slightly bended head, surrounded by rich, curling locks