Typology

Portrait

Definition

Portrait of Vespasian (inv. no. C1025)

Collection

Tunis, Bardo National Museum.

Inventory number

C1025

Provenance

The statue was found in a pit in the right corner of the court of the Temple of Apollo in Bulla Regia.

Date

1st c. CE

Material

Marble.

Dimensions

Height: 46,5 cm (larger than life size).

Analytical methods

VIS

UV

MO VIS

MO UV

Autoptic examination

Microscopic color residues are not visible to the naked eye.

Imaging

Video microscopy has allowed to highlight some traces of color: blue lines are found in the labial canal, nostrils and wrinkles; black lines surround the eyes and highlight the eyebrows and wrinkles of the face; incomplete ocher-orange traces are found on the hair at the nape of the neck.

Under painting traces

no

Pigments

Blue, orange, brown.

Binder

n.d.

Stratigraphy

Directly on the marble.

Shading

Using blue lines.

Metallic traces

no

Tools marks

no

Background colour

no

Apparent marble parts

no

Restorations

no

Anthropomorphic/realistic

Anthropomorphic idealized rendering due to the presence of light eyes.

Polychromy type

The strongly incomplete traces of color do not allow the polychrome rendering to be reconstructed with certainty. The color of the hair remains uncertain. The blue and black lines shade and highlight the facial features, perhaps in contrast to the light color of the eyes, helping to create an anthropomorphic but idealized polychrome rendering.

Bibliography

Manca titolo del contributo. Forse da aggiungere il volume sui ritratti del Bardo.