Marcus Aurelius

Object belonging

One's own

Category

Bronze sculpture

City

Rome

Location

Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia

Specific location

Room 17

Inventory

PV 09296

Material and technique

Bronze, natural brown patina, traces of black lacquer

Author

Florentine School (?)

Dating

Mid-16th century

Dimensions

24.5 x 9.5 x 22 cm.

Origin

Barsanti Collection (1934)

Image copyright

SSPSAE e per il Polo Museale della città di Roma

Short description

This bronze is attributed to an artist who had no direct knowledge of the ancient monument, referring instead to a drawing or engraving. This would explain why a caparison, which is not in the original, has been added to the abdomen and the back of the horse. It is also very likely that the image from which the bronze was produced depicted only the right side of the monument, since it is well designed on that side. The left side, though, is rather sketchy, with the saddle not shown and the caparison very roughly rendered.

Pietro Cannata

Bibliography

L. Pollak, Raccolta Alfredo Barsanti (Trecento-Settecento), catalogue of the collection, Bergamo 1922, p. 103, no. 69;  A. Santangelo, Museo di Palazzo Venezia. Catalogo delle sculture, Rome 1954, p. 50; A. Mura Sommella - C. Parise Presicce, Il Marco Aurelio e la sua copia, Cinisello Balsamo 1997, no. 19 p. 38.