Monumental Bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Italy, 17th century
Patinated bronze, gilt bronze, porphyry, and tuff
Dimensions: H. 158 cm × W. 105 cm × D. 40 cm
This monumental bust pays homage to Marcus Aurelius (121–181 AD), Roman emperor, philosopher, and statesman. Its colossal scale directly references the famed equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, which was reinstalled by Michelangelo in 1538 at the Piazza del Campidoglio, at the request of Pope Paul III.
Likely intended for a Roman palace, this bust was designed to be viewed from below, elevated in a niche or atop a column, echoing the grandeur of imperial portraiture reinterpreted through the Baroque lens of the 17th century.
The use of precious and symbolic materials — patinated and gilt bronze, imperial porphyry, and tuff — evokes imperial splendor. A related bust, also combining bronze and porphyry, formerly in the Boncompagni Ludovisi collection, is now held at the Palazzo Altemps (inv. 8592). That example is a direct cast of the Lateran statue; this piece instead appears to be a reinterpretation inspired by the Vienna version from the collection of Charles V.
