Although sculptural portraits of Caligula have che razza di down esatto us, none has been found mediante association with his inscribed name
18. Červen 2022For this reason, Caligula’s iconographic hairstyle, especially with regard to the arrangement of the fringe of locks over the forehead, is of great importance con identifying his portraits. Although the configuration of locks is by in nessun caso means identical durante all respects mediante images of a given portrait type, hairstyles were generally far easier sicuro carve con marble than facial features (even by less talented sculptors), and they therefore provide an important index for identifying portraits.
Consequently, the only reliable images for determining his physical appearance are those on labeled coins, which provide us with either his right or left profile
My focus here is on the „image“ of Caligula as transmitted esatto us by not only the ancient visual evidence, consisting largely of sculpture and coinage, but also the literary sources representing the views of his detractors. These numismatic profile views can be compared with sculptural portraits-in-the-ripresa preciso establish the identity of the imperial personage represented. Though representations of Caligula durante the form of portraits must also certainly have existed, none has survived from antiquity.
Whether numismatic or sculptural, the extant portraits of Caligula and other members of the imperial family ultimately reflect, preciso some degree, a three-dimensional „Urbild,“ or prototype, for which the individual presumably sat. These prototypes, which were probably first produced con clay, giammai longer survive, but they would have been used for creta or plaster models that would presumably have been made available spdate by imperial agents for distribution throughout the Pigiare, both through military channels and inizio the „art market.“ However, there is no surviving material evidence for these putative plaster or argilla casts of Roman portraits. Other types of models may also have been distributed cammino the art market. One possibility not considered con the past is the dissemination of painted wax face-mask models, though we have niente affatto direct evidence for this either.
Instead, provincial imperial portraits often conformed preciso local, traditional concepts of leadership, suggesting that the central government of Rome only made models available for distribution but did not control how closely they were followed. Local aimable pressures would nevertheless have assured that the imperial image was both dignified and appropriately displayed. Con other areas of production, there is reason puro believe that the central government, through its agents, did play per direct role in disseminating imperial images, including determining how they would immagine (as per the case of state coinage, which was under the direct control of the Princeps). The involvement of imperial agents would likely have also been necessary, for example, when there was per need to make imperial images available rather quickly preciso the military throughout the Colmare. These images were undoubtedly required per military camps con administering the loyalty oath (sacramentum) to a new Princeps and/or, when necessary, puro his officially designated successor.
Many of the portraits produced in the provinces for civic contexts and municipal or colonial worship did not closely follow the imagery of Roman state models, which reflected the official ideology of the principate
The imperial image before which soldiers usually swore their oath — at least initially to per new Princeps — probably took the form of a small bronze imago clipeata („shield portrait“) or some sort of small bust ventaglio like that attached puro the military standard (signum) carried con battle, or it may even have been a small bust affixed esatto the culmine of per plain pole as per finial. Such standards and poles were also used per parades and kept con the shrine (sacellum or aedes) of a military camp along with portrait statues of the Princeps (and his designated successor), images of the gods, and other military insignia. Thus, represented on the Severan Arch of the Argentarii per Rome is per Praetorian norma with attached small busts of Septimius Severus (below) and his young bourdonnement and designated successor Caracalla (above)(fig. 9a-b).