Portrait of Marcus Aurelius
Culture: Roman
Date: ca. 140-150
Place found:Italy
Medium: Marble
Dimensions:
height: 94 7/8 in. (241 cm)
width (plinth): 32 1/2 in. (82.6 cm)
depth (plinth): 26 3/8 in. (67 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Gilbert M. Denman, Jr.
Object number: 85.136.1
Provenance: excavated by Gavin Hamilton (1723-1798) at Tor Colombaro, near Frattocchie, Italy, 1771; sold by Gavin Hamilton to William Petty-Fitzmaurice, second earl of Shelburne, first marquess of Lansdowne, (1737-1805), London, 1773; acquired from the estate of William Petty-Fitzmaurice by John Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, second marquess of Lansdowne (1765-1809), London; by inheritance to Mary Arabella Petty, marchioness of Lansdowne (d. 1833) London, 1809; sold by Mary Arabella Petty to Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, third marquess of Lansdowne (1780-1863), London, 1810; by inheritance to Henry Thomas Petty Fitzmaurice, fourth marquess of Lansdowne (1816-1866), London, 1863; by inheritance to Henry Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, fifth marquess of Lansdowne (1845-1927), London, 1866; by inheritance to Henry William Edmund Petty-Fitzmaurice, sixth marquess of Lansdowne (1872-1936), Wiltshire, 1927; Christie's, London, March 5, 1930, lot 17 (unsold); by inheritance to Charles Hope Petty-Fitzmaurice, seventh marquess of Lansdowne (1917-1944), Wiltshire, 1936; by inheritance to George John Charles Mercer Nairne Petty-Fitzmaurice, eighth marquess of Lansdowne (1912-1999), Wiltshire, 1944; sold, Sotheby's, London, December 4, 1972, lot 127 to Gilbert M. Denman, Jr. (1921-2004), San Antonio; Gilbert M. Denman, Jr., by gift to San Antonio Museum of Art, 1985
Label Text
As a young man, Marcus Aurelius was adopted as the emperor Antoninus Pius’s chosen successor. This portrait depicts Marcus as a youthful prince, with the first traces of a beard and a head of rich curls. The imposing nude torso gives him a heroic appearance, enhanced by the military cloak draped around his shoulders and the sword and scepter he holds. Emperor from A.D. 160-181, Marcus spent much of his reign confronting invasions on the northern and eastern frontiers of the Empire. He also wrote a collection of philosophical reflections known as the Meditations.
This statue was found at a villa near Rome in 1771 by the Scottish antiquarian and art dealer Gavin Hamilton. Hamilton sold it to the first Marquess of Lansdowne, who assembled a large collection of Greek and Roman sculpture at his house in London. The statue was restored from several fragments in the late 1700s. According to Hamilton’s correspondence, the head was found near the body; scholars disagree over whether or not the head belonged to this statue in antiquity. (Jessica Powers, 2008)
This statue was found at a villa near Rome in 1771 by the Scottish antiquarian and art dealer Gavin Hamilton. Hamilton sold it to the first Marquess of Lansdowne, who assembled a large collection of Greek and Roman sculpture at his house in London. The statue was restored from several fragments in the late 1700s. According to Hamilton’s correspondence, the head was found near the body; scholars disagree over whether or not the head belonged to this statue in antiquity. (Jessica Powers, 2008)
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
