Description
Book SynopsisImperial Colors focuses on the paired busts of Emperor Septimius Severus (r. 193-211) and his wife, Empress Julia Domna in the Eskenazi Museum of Art, two of the finest known examples of later Roman portrait sculpture. This book presents innovative multidisciplinary research that is accessible both to specialists and generalists. In addition to contextualizing these portraits in the visual art and culture of the wider Roman empire, this publication will provide the first detailed and secure evidence for their original appearances. Highlights of this include the recently discovered vestiges of colorful paint, fresh insights into masterful marble polishes, and fascinating possibilities regarding their production and display in antiquity. These sculptures are also carefully constructed images, designed to promote political ideas. They represent continuity with older Imperial models but were updated to create a distinctive visual language for the new Imperial house.
Table of ContentsDirector's Foreword: David Brenneman, Wilma E. Kelley Director, Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University Preface: Juliet Graver Istrabadi, Curator of Ancient Art, IU Eskenazi Museum of Art Chapter 1: Introduction General background Origins and development of the project Acknowledgements Chapter 2: The Eskenazi Portraits Introduction The portrait bust of Septimius Severus The portrait bust of Julia Domna Portrait typology, chronology, and self-presentation Why busts? Chapter 3: Bringing Marble to Life Introduction Marble-carving techniques and the Eskenazi Museum workshop Polish and paint The origin of the marble and its implications Chapter 4: Portraits, Power, and the Visualization of Dynasty Introduction Alliances and images: Septimius Severus and Clodius Albinus Visualizing power: Septimius Severus as sole emperor and the consolidation of dynasty The "African Emperor"Maternal messages in the portraits of Julia Domna The afterlife of Julia Domna Chapter 5: Modern Histories and Ancient Displays Introduction The acquisition and provenance of the Eskenazi Museum Busts The commission and display of Imperial portrait busts in the High Imperial period Archaeological evidence for bust display contexts in the Imperial Period /p> Portrait busts in Late Antique houses Appendix 1: Marble Analysis (Scott Pike, Professor of Environmental Science and Archaeology, Willamette University) Appendix 2: Pigment Analysis (Gregory Smith, Senior Conservation Scientist, Indianapolis;Museum of Art/Newfields) Bibliography Index
