Marble bust of the Roman Emperor Commodus

An image of Sculpture. Figure/bust. Marble bust of the Emperor Commodus (AD 180-192). Production place: Italy, Rome. A Roman marble portrait bust of the Emperor Commodus c. 191-192 AD. Over-life sized, finely sculpted, with sereneexpression gazing to the right, the heavy, hooded eyes with articulated pupils and finely carved curving brows above, his full lips above a thick, incised moustache, his luxurious beard with heavy drill work to accentuate the curls, his hair with similar drill work at the front, the back with thick undrilled curls, his ears thick with prominent earlobes, wearing a paludamentum over a tunic carved with heavy u-shaped folds below his neck, vertical folds over his left shoulder, and fastened on his right shoulder with a circular brooch, quartered within a raised border. Marble, carved and drilled, height, including socle, 32 in, height, excluding socle, 26.5 in, height, head and neck, 15 in, width, bust, 27 in, AD 180-192 AD.
Notes: Accepted in lieu of inheritance tax by HM Government from the Houghton Settlement, and allocated through Arts Council England to be kept in situ at Houghton Hall. Acquisition Credit: Accepted in lieu of Inheritance tax from Lord Cholomondeley by H.M. Governement and allocated to The Fitzwilliam Museum.

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Sculpture. Figure/bust. Marble bust of the Emperor Commodus (AD 180-192). Production place: Italy, Rome. A Roman marble portrait bust of the Emperor Commodus c. 191-192 AD. Over-life sized, finely sculpted, with sereneexpression gazing to the right, the heavy, hooded eyes with articulated pupils and finely carved curving brows above, his full lips above a thick, incised moustache, his luxurious beard with heavy drill work to accentuate the curls, his hair with similar drill work at the front, the back with thick undrilled curls, his ears thick with prominent earlobes, wearing a paludamentum over a tunic carved with heavy u-shaped folds below his neck, vertical folds over his left shoulder, and fastened on his right shoulder with a circular brooch, quartered within a raised border. Marble, carved and drilled, height, including socle, 32 in, height, excluding socle, 26.5 in, height, head and neck, 15 in, width, bust, 27 in, AD 180-192 AD. Notes: Accepted in lieu of inheritance tax by HM Government from the Houghton Settlement, and allocated through Arts Council England to be kept in situ at Houghton Hall. Acquisition Credit: Accepted in lieu of Inheritance tax from Lord Cholomondeley by H.M. Governement and allocated to The Fitzwilliam Museum.

Image data

Accession Number: GR.1.2016
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal length: 60
Camera: NIKON D800
Photographer name: Michael Jones
Image height: 875 pixels
Image width: 626 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 (Windows)
Filesize: 329.02kB
Exposure time: 1/125
ISO Speed: 80
Fnumber: 22/1
Captured: 2017:04:24 12:21:34

Key words

2nd Century AD antiquity bearded beards bust Commodus emperor Fitz_ANT Houghton Hall male marble portraits Roman Roman Emperor Roman Empire rulers sculpture

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024)
            "Marble bust of the Roman Emperor Commodus"
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