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Bust of Philip the Arab

The Bust of Philip the Arab, preserved in the Vatican Museums, is one of the rare Roman portraits of the emperor Philip the Arab, who ruled from 244 to 249. The bust is 0.71 metres high and shows him wearing the contabulata toga, a garment typical in the third century for consular office. The head is rendered with strong portrait character, emphasizing the emperor’s “barbaric” features associated with his origin in the recently annexed province of Arabia Petraea. The face is broad and heavy, with deep cheek folds, narrow elongated eyes, a large aquiline nose, and full lips. Short hair and a close beard are indicated by fine marks, adding to the work’s intense expressiveness.

White marble bust of Philip the Arab with short textured hair and a serious expression.
Bust of Philip the Arab in white marble, shown against a light veined background.
April 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Marble bust of Philip the Arab with a close-cropped hairstyle, short beard, and a repaired mark across the nose.
Bust of Philip the Arab in marble, showing a serious expression and visible restoration across the nose.
April 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Marble bust of Philip the Arab with short textured hair and a closely cropped beard.
Bust of Philip the Arab, showing a stern, deeply carved facial expression in marble.
November 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
White marble bust of Philip the Arab with close-cropped hair and a short beard, shown with a blurred statue in the background.
Bust of Philip the Arab in white marble, with another statue visible out of focus behind it.
April 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bust of Philip the Arab with a closely cropped head, wrinkled forehead, and draped garment on a small pedestal.
Bust of Philip the Arab, shown here in a monochrome photograph against a dark background.
1907 © · No restrictions

Identification

SubjectPhilip the Arab (Philip I the Arab), Roman emperor
RarityOne of the rare Roman portraits depicting Philip the Arab
TypePortrait bust

Historical context

Date of creation245–249
Reign depictedPhilip the Arab reigned from 244 to 249
Origin of subjectArabia Petraea, a province recently annexed at the time

Creator

ArtistAnonymous

Discovery and provenance

Discovery date1778
Discovery contextFound during excavations carried out by Nicola La Piccola on the estate of Prince Sigismondo Chigi della Rovere in Castel Porziano
Ownership historyAcquired by Robert Fagan in 1798; sold to the Vatican Museums in 1804

Materials

MaterialMarble

Physical characteristics

Current collectionMuseo Chiaramonti
Height94.5 cm
Height0.71 m

Location and ownership

Display locationBraccio Nuovo
Inventory numberMV.2216.0.0

Appearance

Portrait styleStrongly characterized portrait head with strong expressionism
Facial featuresMassive features with deep folds on the cheeks; narrow elongated eyes; large aquiline nose; full lips
Hair and beardShort-cropped hair and closely adhering beard, both indicated by short incisions; hair cap accentuates the volume of the head
CostumeFigure wearing a wrapped contabulata toga, typical in the 3rd century for consular rank; richly draped and tightened between two boards, forming a smooth diagonal band across the chest

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationThe emperor's facial traits were probably perceived as oriental and emphasize his 'barbaric' traits
Comparative referencesCompared with Maximinus Thrax; later expressiveness is seen in the portraits of Decius and Trebonianus Gallus

History and restoration

Later receptionIn later portraiture, this expressiveness was further accentuated