Trajan
Front View
2015-00-00
Name/Title
TrajanEntry/Object ID
79R0326Description
Nude bust of Trajan, head turned slightly to the left. Mounted on a round pedestal.Type of Sculpture
BustArtwork Details
Medium
PlasterSubject Person
TrajanContext
This statue is an excellent example of Roman portrait sculpture from the first half of the second century CE. Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE) appears gentle, wise, humble, and sedate because of applied classical simplicity. Known as a natural leader, Trajan was a favourite with the army and the senatorial classes. His economic administration and humanitarian social policies made him generally popular, a fact reflected in his nickname, ‘Optimus Princeps’ (best Princeps, or emperor). Two main portrait types are known from Trajan’s reign, both depicting a slightly middle-aged, clean-shaven emperor with a hairstyle that recalls those worn by the Julio-Claudians, especially Augustus. Of unknown provenance, the marble original was part of the antiquities collection amassed by Cardinal Alessandro Albani (1692-1779) in Rome until it was confiscated by Napoleon in 1797 and taken to Paris. There, it was installed in the former apartments of Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV, now the antiquities gallery, at the Louvre. In 1815, when many works were repatriated to their countries of origin, this and many other Roman portrait statues were retained under agreements with the Italian government. The nose of the reproduction, broken on the original, has been restored.Collection
Roman EmpireMade/Created
Date made
98 CE - 117 CETime Period
Roman ImperialEthnography
Culture/Tribe
Roman