Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Tusculum portrait

Tusculum portrait is a 33 cm-high portrait head of Gaius Julius Caesar, now kept in the Museo di Antichità in Turin. It is a Trajanic-era copy in Carrara marble after a bronze original dated to 50–40 BC, and is considered the only surviving portrait type made during Caesar’s lifetime. The likeness was identified from coin portraits, especially issues of the moneyer Marcus Mettius. Its corroded surface, elongated crown, receding hair, and wrinkled neck reflect the realism of late Republican portraiture. The head was found in 1825 during excavations at the Forum of Tusculum, later moved to Castello d’Aglie near Turin, and was identified as a portrait of Caesar in 1940.

Weathered marble bust of the Tusculum portrait showing a stern-faced man with receding wavy hair and deep facial wrinkles.
The Tusculum portrait, a weathered marble bust with a stern expression and pronounced facial wrinkles.
© · Public domain
Tusculum portrait of Julius Caesar, a weathered marble bust with a receding hairline and lined face.
The Tusculum portrait, a weathered marble bust of Julius Caesar.
© · CC BY 2.0
Tusculum portrait marble bust of Julius Caesar with a stern expression
The Tusculum portrait, a marble bust of Julius Caesar, shown against a dark background.
© · Public domain
Tusculum portrait of Julius Caesar in weathered white marble, showing a stern face and receding wavy hair.
The Tusculum portrait of Julius Caesar, a weathered marble bust with a stern expression and receding hair.
© · Public domain
Tusculum portrait marble bust of Julius Caesar with a stern expression and weathered facial features
The Tusculum portrait, a Roman marble bust of Julius Caesar, shown on a pedestal against a dark background.
© · Public domain

Identification

TitleTusculum portrait
Alternative namesTusculum bust; Caesar Tusculum; Type Agliè
TypePortrait bust
SubjectJulius Caesar
Identification statusSpeculated to depict Julius Caesar; identified by Maurizio Borda in 1940, according to many modern scholars

Historical context

Date50–40 BC
Historical significanceOne of the two accepted pre-imperial portraits of Caesar, and possibly the only surviving portrait made during his lifetime
Stylistic traditionLate Republican verism

Creator

Discovery and excavationDiscovered in 1825 at the Forum of Tusculum, Latium, during excavations carried out on behalf of Lucien Bonaparte

Discovery and provenance

Later locationsCastello d'Agliè; exhibited in the Louvre; later transferred to the Museo di Antichità, Turin
Current locationMuseo di Antichità, Turin, Italy
ProvenanceOriginally unclear; identified as a bust of Caesar only in 1940 by Maurizio Borda
Known copiesThree copies are known
Known copy locationsWoburn Abbey, Bedfordshire; private collections in Florence and Rome
Most recent comparable exampleA specimen found in 2004 on Pantelleria, restored in antiquity

Materials

Original model materialBronze
MaterialFine-grained Carrara marble

Technique

Relation to originalCopy of a bronze original

Physical characteristics

Height33 cm
ConditionSurface heavily corroded; otherwise described as well preserved with slight retouching visible on the left side of the face

Appearance

HairSparse, thinning
NeckWrinkled
Head shapeElongated, saddle-shaped
ForeheadSlightly furrowed
Mouth expressionSlightly smiling
Overall expressionConcentrated and caring, with irony and aristocratic reserve
StyleRealistic
Cephalic typeDolichocephalic
Coin comparisonFacial features correspond especially to Caesar coin portraits from the last year of his life, particularly denarii issued by Marcus Mettius

Iconography and meaning

Interpretation of neckAccording to Jiří Frel, the wrinkled neck characterizes Caesar as a general rather than as a ruler; wrinkles were also read as signs of life experience, virtus, and gravitas
Possible medical explanationThe elongated, saddle-shaped skull may reflect premature ossification of the sutures between the parietal and temporal bones, possibly associated with dolichocephaly

Location and ownership

Collection statusPermanent collection