Bust of Caracalla
Front
Name/Title
Bust of CaracallaEntry/Object ID
23R01262Description
Fragmentary bronze portrait bust of the roman Emperor Caracalla. His facial expression is harsh and stern. His hair and beard are both cut short. Resin replica.Type of Sculpture
BustArtwork Details
Medium
BronzeSubject Person
CaracallaContext
Caracalla (188 – 217 CE) was the son of Septimius Severus and became co-emperor to his father in 198 CE at the age of 10. He ruled alongside his twin brother, Geta, from 209 CE until Geta was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard in 211 CE, the same year their father died. It is widely believed that Caracalla ordered Geta’s assassination himself. He ruled the empire alone until 217 CE, when he was assassinated in southern Turkey by a Roman soldier. Caracalla had a reputation for being a cruel, tyrannical leader and his stern portraiture certainly reflects his authoritarian leadership. His facial expression is intense and serious and reminds viewers of his miliary background much like many of his other portraits. In the third century, many emperors were soldiers, elected to rule by their troops. Due to the political turmoil, emperors sought to legitimize their power through their image in portraits and on coinage. As such, this style of portrait, including a short beard and hair and an intense, stern facial expression, grew in popularity after the reign of Caracalla. In 2023, this portrait of Caracalla was identified as one of the Bubon Bronze statues which were looted from an archaeological site in Turkey in the 1960s. It was seized and de-accessioned from the MET and will be returned to Turkey alongside a bronze statue of Caracalla’s father, Septimius Severus, also formerly located at the MET.Collection
Roman EmpireMade/Created
Date made
circa 211 CE - circa 217 CETime Period
Roman ImperialPlace
Country
TurkeyRegion
West AsiaContinent
AsiaEthnography
Cultural Region
Region
West AsiaContinent
AsiaCountry
TurkeyCulture/Tribe
Roman