Re-carving Roman Portraits: Background and Methods
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5617/acta.5745Abstract
The portrait is regarded as a Roman invention. Facial features of many Romans come down to us through portraits in styles which were progressively developed from the time of Caesar (100-44 BC) to that of Justinian (AD 527-565), mostly in precious metals and marble. The workmanship of Roman portraits is, however, not always as straightforward as traditionally perceived. Since the discovery of the Cancelleria Reliefs in the 1930s, in which the portrait of the damnatio memoriae-convicted Emperor Domitian (81-96) was re-carved into that of Nerva (96-98), scholars have been aware of the fact that some portraits had already been altered in antiquity. This article is based on an investigation of more than 2000 portraits where c. 500 proved to be re-carved. The study provides thorough analyses of the different re-carving methods, some of which can be attributed to geographically localised workshops. The classification of re-carving methods and workshops provides a useful introduction to the understanding of the nature of Roman portrait art seen from below, from the artist’s and carver’s view.
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