DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52594#0426
Roman Portraiture.
the back of which is roughly carved, was made for insertion into a
toga statue, as the edge by the left side of the neck suggests.
Agrippa, Augustus’ admiral, later his son-in-law through
marriage with the Emperor’s daughter, Julia, is known from
portraits on coins and recognized by the coarse features:
the vigorous, uneven brow, the fall of the hair and the heavy
lower face with the narrow upper lip and the broad lower
lip, but particularly by the intensively contracted brows,
under which the eyes are shaded as in Skopas’ heads. By
this feature his torvitas (sternness) is expressed. Agrippa,
who died in the year 12 B. C. only fifty-two years old, was
a harsh master, obedient to Augustus and dominating in his
relations to everybody else (Velleius Paterculus II 79,1).
His idea of discipline as a necessity is expressed in his
motto: concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maximae
dilabuntur (the infinitessimal thrives through concord, dis-
cord will make even the great things collapse; Seneca:
Epist. ad Lucil. 94, 46).
Our head shows Agrippa older and more flaccid than the
excellent bust in the Louvre (A. B. 295). On Agrippa’s por-
trait see L. Curtius, Rom. Mitt. 48, 1933, p. 192 seqq. and
the detailed criticism of that article by Fr. Poulsen: Privat-
portrats p. 11 seqq. A. L. Ugolini: L’Agrippa di Burtrinto.
Roma 1932. Carl Bliimel: Rom. Bildn. Berlin p. 7, R. 15.
Billedtavler pl. XXXXIX. Oest. Jahresh. XIV 1911 p. 262 Abb. 154-55
(Banko). Curtius in Rom. Mitt. 48, 1933, pp. 222, 224 and pls. 32-33,
609. (I. N. 1807). Agrippa. Colossal head. M.
H. 0.49, from chin to vertex 0.32. The nose and larger part of the
occiput missing. The entire face much damaged. Several small mussel
stells adhere to the surface. The head, which was previously in the
Cernazai collection at Udine (Sale cat. pl. XXXII and p. 67 No. 434),
is formed for insertion into a statue and seems originally to have been
an excellent piece of sculpture.
Agrippa is here still older, still more flaccid and with
more lines than in No. 608. On the head are traces of a
forehead ring, but whether it is the naval crown with rostra,
corona navalis, or the mural crown, corona muralis, which
is also known from coin and gem portraits of the great
admiral, cannot be decided on account of its bad state of
422
the back of which is roughly carved, was made for insertion into a
toga statue, as the edge by the left side of the neck suggests.
Agrippa, Augustus’ admiral, later his son-in-law through
marriage with the Emperor’s daughter, Julia, is known from
portraits on coins and recognized by the coarse features:
the vigorous, uneven brow, the fall of the hair and the heavy
lower face with the narrow upper lip and the broad lower
lip, but particularly by the intensively contracted brows,
under which the eyes are shaded as in Skopas’ heads. By
this feature his torvitas (sternness) is expressed. Agrippa,
who died in the year 12 B. C. only fifty-two years old, was
a harsh master, obedient to Augustus and dominating in his
relations to everybody else (Velleius Paterculus II 79,1).
His idea of discipline as a necessity is expressed in his
motto: concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maximae
dilabuntur (the infinitessimal thrives through concord, dis-
cord will make even the great things collapse; Seneca:
Epist. ad Lucil. 94, 46).
Our head shows Agrippa older and more flaccid than the
excellent bust in the Louvre (A. B. 295). On Agrippa’s por-
trait see L. Curtius, Rom. Mitt. 48, 1933, p. 192 seqq. and
the detailed criticism of that article by Fr. Poulsen: Privat-
portrats p. 11 seqq. A. L. Ugolini: L’Agrippa di Burtrinto.
Roma 1932. Carl Bliimel: Rom. Bildn. Berlin p. 7, R. 15.
Billedtavler pl. XXXXIX. Oest. Jahresh. XIV 1911 p. 262 Abb. 154-55
(Banko). Curtius in Rom. Mitt. 48, 1933, pp. 222, 224 and pls. 32-33,
609. (I. N. 1807). Agrippa. Colossal head. M.
H. 0.49, from chin to vertex 0.32. The nose and larger part of the
occiput missing. The entire face much damaged. Several small mussel
stells adhere to the surface. The head, which was previously in the
Cernazai collection at Udine (Sale cat. pl. XXXII and p. 67 No. 434),
is formed for insertion into a statue and seems originally to have been
an excellent piece of sculpture.
Agrippa is here still older, still more flaccid and with
more lines than in No. 608. On the head are traces of a
forehead ring, but whether it is the naval crown with rostra,
corona navalis, or the mural crown, corona muralis, which
is also known from coin and gem portraits of the great
admiral, cannot be decided on account of its bad state of
422