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Four Seasons Altar

The Four Seasons Altar is a Roman decorative altar from around 40 AD, made of finely crystalline white marble. It was found in 1886 on the Pincio in Rome, on the grounds of the former Horti Sallustiani, and later reappeared after decades in a private collection and the antiquities trade. The round altar is decorated at regular intervals with four putti representing the seasons through their attributes. The sculpture is 73 cm high and 56.4 cm in diameter, and is largely preserved apart from minor damage. It is dated to the early Claudian period and is now in the collection of the Martin von Wagner Museum in Würzburg.

Four Seasons Altar with carved marble reliefs, draped swags, and putti holding flowers and grapes.
The Four Seasons Altar, a Roman marble altar decorated with relief putti, swags, and ornate vertical motifs.
October 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Round marble Four Seasons Altar with carved drapery, decorative pillars, and a winged putto holding grapes and a basket of fruit.
The Four Seasons Altar, a weathered marble altar with relief carvings including a winged putto holding grapes and fruit.
October 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Four Seasons Altar with carved reliefs, a central vessel, and two winged figures on a textured stone base.
Four Seasons Altar, a weathered stone altar decorated with reliefs, a central vessel, and winged figures.
October 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Four Seasons Altar with carved putti and draped decoration on a round marble pedestal.
The Four Seasons Altar, a Roman marble altar decorated with putti and ornamental reliefs.
July 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Four Seasons Altar, a cylindrical stone altar with relief carvings of draped fabric, vessels, and child-like figures.
The Four Seasons Altar shows carved reliefs around a cylindrical stone altar topped with a flat circular surface.
July 2008 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleFour Seasons Altar
Original language namesWürzburger Vierjahreszeitenaltar; Ara delle quattro stagioni
TypeRoman decorative altar
Alternative namesWürzburger Vierjahreszeitenaltar; Ara delle Quattro Stagioni; Four Seasons Altar of Würzburg; Würzburg Four Seasons Altar

Historical context

Datec. 40 AD, early Claudian period
PeriodRoman

Creator

CreatorUnknown

Discovery and provenance

Competing buyerAntikensammlung Berlin, through Friedrich Matz Jr. and Adolf Greifenhagen; the altar was sold to Würzburg instead
DealerGiorgio Fallani
Italian state claimThe Italian state could no longer claim the work after eighty years
Discovery locationPincio, Rome, on the site of the former Horti Sallustiani (Sallustian Gardens), on property that had belonged to the Roman emperors
AcquisitionPurchased for the antiquities collection of the Martin von Wagner Museum in Würzburg by Erika Simon, who recognized it as the lost altar
Post-discovery historySoon lost after publication; later in a private American collection for decades; reappeared in Rome in 1966 in the antiquities trade of Giorgio Fallani
First publicationImmediately after discovery
Discovery date1886

Physical characteristics

Damage noteThe winter putto was damaged during carving of the dead animal and was not further worked out; the damage was not repaired
ConditionMostly complete; only minor chips and edge damage
Diameter56.4 cm
Height73 cm
FormRound altar

Materials

MaterialFine-grained white marble

Appearance

DecorationFour putti evenly spaced around the altar

Iconography and meaning

Main themeThe four seasons represented by four putti
Winter figureA putto dressed as a farmworker, with a slaughtered animal and a wine amphora
Spring figureAssociated with Venus and Flora; marked by a floral garland
Summer figureAssociated with Ceres; marked by ears of grain and poppies
Autumn figureSatyr-like putto with a basket of grapes, symbolizing Bacchus
Figure arrangementWinter faces spring, and autumn faces summer
Literary referencesThe seasonal personifications are linked in literary tradition by authors such as Ovid and Lucretius

Location and ownership

Current locationMartin von Wagner Museum, Würzburg
Inventory numberH 5056
Intended functionProbably intended less for cult use than as a decorative garden ornament

Significance

Possible political meaningPossibly alludes to a positive development of the Julio-Claudian dynasty
Iconographic contextIn the early Imperial period, imperial princes were also represented as putti