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Antinous Braschi

Antinous Braschi, also known as the Antinous Pio-Clementino, is a colossal ancient Roman statue of Antinous, the favorite and beloved of Emperor Hadrian. Found in 1792–1793, it was purchased for the Braschi family collection and is now displayed in the Rotunda Hall of the Pio-Clementino Museum. Carved from white, probably Carrara, marble, the sculpture stands 326 cm high. It shows Antinous as an idealized youth and syncretic deity, combining features of Dionysus and Osiris. The figure wears a draped cloak, a diadem with ivy and other restored elements, and is posed with a thyrsus.

Antinous Braschi, a white marble statue of a youthful male figure with a bare torso, draped cloth, curly hair, and a raised staff.
The Antinous Braschi statue shown in a museum setting, with the figure holding a staff and wearing a wreath.
April 2017 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Antinous Braschi marble statue of a youthful male figure wearing a leafy wreath and holding an ornate staff.
Antinous Braschi shown as a youthful marble figure with a leafy wreath and ornate staff.
August 2015 © Carole Raddato · CC BY-SA 2.0
Marble statue of Antinous Braschi with a leaf and grape wreath, bare chest, draped cloth, and a staff against a red background.
Antinous Braschi shown as a marble statue with a leafy wreath, drapery, and staff.
April 2016 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Upper body of the Antinous Braschi statue, a youthful male marble figure with a leafy wreath in his curly hair, looking down to the right and holding a staff.
Upper body of Antinous Braschi, shown here with a leafy wreath and staff in a black-and-white photograph.
July 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Upper portion of the Antinous Braschi marble sculpture, showing a youthful face with curly hair and a wreath of grapes and leaves against a red decorative background.
Detail of the Antinous Braschi sculpture, showing the youthful head crowned with grapes and leaves.
2003 © · Public domain

Identification

TitleAntinous Braschi
Alternative nameAntinous Pio-Clementino
TypeAncient Roman colossal portrait sculpture
ScaleColossal
SubjectAntinous, the Greek youth and favorite/lover of Emperor Hadrian

Historical context

Date of creationAfter the death of Antinous in 130 CE
Historical contextCreated as part of the posthumous cult of Antinous after he drowned in the Nile during a journey with Hadrian in Egypt
Hadrian's reign117–138 AD

Creator

RestorerGiovanni Pierantoni, under the direction of Gavin Hamilton

Discovery and provenance

Discovery date1792–1793
Discovery locationPalestrina, Italy, in the area called "La Villa"
Discovery contextDiscovered during excavations of the supposed Villa of Hadrian at Palestrina; numerous sculptures were found at the site
ExcavatorsGavin Hamilton and Robert Fagan; another unnamed person is also mentioned
AcquisitionBought for the Braschi family collection by Count Braschi; after restoration acquired by Pope Pius VI (Braschi)
Name originNamed after Palazzo Braschi / the Braschi family collection

Physical characteristics

BaseOval plinth-base with a profiled perimeter, protruding rings at top and bottom, and a groove between them; an ancient base fragment is present at the back of the modern pedestal
Ancient base fragment54.5 × 61 cm marble with green veins
Total height326 cm
Plinth height15.5 cm
Head height36 cm from crown to chin

Materials

Primary materialMarble, probably Carrara marble
Headgear materialSome researchers suggest bronze for lost headgear details

Technique

Surface treatmentThoroughly cleaned, especially the face

Appearance

Lost headgear elementsHeaddress probably once had an Osirian attribute such as a uraeus or a lotus flower
HeadgearDiadem-like headdress with a wreath of two ivy branches with leaves and berries crossing at the front, and a forehead ribbon with tied ends hanging at the back
AccessoriesThyrsus topped with a pine cone and ribbons; a woven basket or vessel near the left foot with its lid lifted and snake scales visible inside
Right arm and handRight arm lowered along the body with forearm slightly forward and outward; right hand relaxed, probably originally held a kantharos
Left arm and handLeft arm extended parallel to the ground and slightly forward, forearm raised; left hand grips a large thyrsus resting near the left foot
DraperyCloak fastened on the left shoulder with a large round fibula; one edge falls forward over the right hip and legs, while the rest falls back in vertical folds
BodyModerately modeled chest with visible pectoral and serratus anterior muscles; flat abdomen; strongly protruding left nipple
PostureContrapposto-like stance with weight on the left leg; right leg slightly withdrawn and bent, right foot flat and turned outward
EyesPupils drilled, corneas modeled in relief, gaze directed to the left
LipsFull and sensual
CheeksFull
EyebrowsStraight, hair-drawn eyebrows
HairLarge tousled semi-lunar curls; curly hair falls onto the forehead, temples, and over the ears, with long wavy strands down the neck onto the shoulders
Face shapeRounded young face with expressive, severe features
Head positionSlightly inclined downward and to the left
Facial expressionDreamy, languid, melancholic gaze
Portrait styleOne of the classic portraits of a Greek youth
NoseLarge and straight

Iconography and meaning

Stylistic contextCombination of Greek and Egyptian traditions common in Hadrianic art
Aesthetic descriptionCombines classical restraint with mystically demonic beauty
Portrait type in Antinous iconographyFirst type, subtype A
InterpretationIdealized depiction of Antinous as a syncretic deity with gods associated with rebirth; shown with the splendor of an Olympian god
Iconographic featuresCombines features of Dionysus and Osiris
Depicted asA youth in the form of a deity

Location and ownership

Current locationSala Rotonda, Pio-Clementino Museum, Vatican Museums
Later display historyDisplayed at Palazzo Braschi in Rome until 1844; transferred to the Lateran Museum and then to the Vatican Museums

History and restoration

Restoration history19th-century restoration replaced the missing crown part with an improvised cone of leaves; some leaves, berries, the pine cone, a row of hair locks, parts of the ears, the entire cloak, the thyrsus, the mystic casket, the right elbow, and parts of the fingers and feet were recreated; the thyrsus may have stood differently in antiquity
Modern restorationsThe current diadem replaced the original uraeus with a lotus flower in successive restorations
Transfer date1844 to the Lateran Museum; transferred to the Vatican Museums in 1862 or 1863
Ownership and display after discoveryAfter restoration it was acquired by Pope Pius VI, displayed in Palazzo Braschi, and later purchased from the Braschi family by Pope Gregory XVI for the Lateran Museum

Significance

Posthumous cultOne of many sculptural portraits of Antinous created throughout the empire until Hadrian's death in 138 CE
ReceptionOne of the three images of Antinous most frequently reproduced on gems
MedalsFeatured centrally in 1853 medals engraved by Giuseppe Cerbara under Pope Pius IX
Related worksPaired busts of Antinous Braschi and Hadrian are known; another full-length Braschi Antinous in the guise of Hercules is now in the Louvre
Copies and reproductionsCopies and casts survive in Saint Petersburg, Cambridge, Oxford, Berlin, Castle Howard, Dresden, the Free University of Berlin, and Warsaw; a marble bust also appeared in front of the north façade of the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum; Jeff Koons created a 2013 reinterpretation based on the work