Marcus Aurelius

Object belonging

One's own

Category

Terracotta sculpture

City

Rome

Location

Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia

Specific location

Room 26

Inventory

PV 13969

Material and technique

Terracotta/ patina

Author

Bartolomeo Cavaceppi (1717-1799)

Dating

Second half of 18th century

Dimensions

52 x 17 x 13.5 cm.

Origin

Cavaceppi Collection (1799); Torlonia Collection (last quarter of 19th century); Gorga Collection (1948)

Image copyright

SSPSAE e per il Polo Museale della città di Roma

Short description

The original sculpture, formerly in the collection of the Cardinal Alessandro Albani and now in the Capitoline Museum, is nearly two metres tall and depicts the Emperor Marcus Aurelius in a standing position, in the typical pose of the adlocutio, with his right arm outstretched, and his left folded and covered by the mantle. Cavaceppi’s terracotta, which is still in good condition, though missing the left hand and almost all of the right arm, is positioned on a small rectangular base and reproduces quite faithfully the original detail, even though the sculptor softens the model, especially in the features of the emperor’s face. The technique stands out, as usual, for its extreme attention to every last detail, particularly in the depiction of the armour and the decoration on the sandals. 

Cristiano Giometti 

Bibliography

M. G. Barberini and C. Gasparri (eds.), Bartolomeo Cavaceppi: scultore romano (1717-1799), exh. cat., Roma 1994, p. 98, n. 13 (published as PV 13391);  C. Brook - V. Curzi (eds.), Roma e l'Antico. Realtà e visione nel '700, exh. cat., Roma 2010, pp. 423-424.