Ancient To Renaissance Marble Bust // 'Emperor Vitellius'

This is a fascinating and huge marble portrait bust of depicting 'Emperor Vitellius', Ancient to Renaissance Period. This depiction has a long and interesting history, as the true identity of the man depicted has been a point of discussion for quite some time.

This example shares much in common with, and indeed appears to copied from, the Grimani Vitellius. The Grimani Vitellius was discovered in Rome in 1505 on an excavation sponsored by the Venetian cardinal Domenico Grimani. At this time, the head was believed to be a portrait of Emperor Vitellius, and upon the Cardinal's death in 1523, the portrait was gifted to Venice as part of his collection and put on display. As Venice became a center of great art, this depiction of Vitellius became an oft-copied image, in other sculpture and even painting, as the images of Roman Emperors became quite popular to depict.

As time has gone on and the image of Grimani Vitellius has been compared to the images of Vitellius depicted on coins from the period of his short reign, the attribution of the bust as a portrait of Vitellius has come under question. It is now most commonly believed to be a depiction of an as of yet unknown man, although the numerous copies of the bust, as the example may be remain to be labeled as 'Vitellius'.

What is interesting about the example offered here, is that there are several factors and indicators that it may be older than the Renaissance period, when copies and works inspired by the Grimani Vitellius were created. Whereas many of the Renaissance and later copies have distinct features of fine art, polished and often a full bust with pedestal, the example featured here is a bit rougher, with higher levels of encrustation and marks that appear to be consistent with burial. It appears to remained unfinished around just behind and below both ears, which would be considered strange for a Renaissance copy.

Perhaps most interestingly, there is a high level of crystallization on the lower portion of the neck, which would make this stone unlikely to be used for such a portrait bust in Renaissance or later times. With these features in mind, it is possible that this may well be an ancient portrait bust, perhaps another image of the same man depicted in the Grimani Vitellius, or simply another man depicted in the same vein.

Overall, this is just a fascinating piece. Aside from the history, this is a huge bust and the features are beautifully carved in the veristic style, depicting the man as jowly and with a double chin in great detail, and the man certainly carries an air of importance about him. With such heft, one would believe this is a man of importance and of the upper class. Overall, this is a stunning portrait, with a fascinating background.