For this exercise I have a choice between annotating a Roman portrait bust or a figure sculpture. I have since decided to annotate a Roman figure sculpture rather than a portrait bust; as I had the opportunity to view a rare example of an original Roman figure sculpture at Petworth House over the summer.
The figure sculpture that I’m going to discuss and analyse in this blog post is that of the emperor Nero, which is unusual as so few examples exist. The only other known statues of him are housed in the Louvre Museum, Paris and in the Italian National Museum of Antiquities in Parma. The reason for this is because he was forced out by a military coup and as a result all images of him were ordered destroyed (Petworth House, n.d.).
The sculpture of Nero which is part of the Petworth Collection is compelling, because it is from the First Century AD when he was fourteen years old. To provide some context he acceded to the Imperial throne from the age of sixteen or seventeen, soon after the death of emperor Claudius (Petworth House, n.d.).
Nero was the fifth Roman Emperor and the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was also the last remaining descendant of Emperor Augustus- the first Roman emperor. He is remembered as being a brutal, ineffectual and neglectful leader who indiscriminately murdered his relations in order to seize control of Rome. He ruled from (54 AD – 68 AD) (BBC, 2014).
He is an extremely controversial figure within the history of the Roman civilization and this might explain why there are so few accounts/ descriptions of him in studies of western art. It appears as though his rule was so horrendous that he is only mentioned in passing. Almost as though he has been wiped from the history books (BBC, 2014).
In 49 AD Agrippina the younger, Nero’s mother, poisoned her second husband. That same year she married her uncle Claudius. With the help of his mother Agrippina the younger, Nero managed to secure his place within the Imperial Family with a view to overthrow the current emperor (his great-uncle) Claudius. Soon after her marriage to Claudius, Agrippina championed Nero and persuaded Claudius to appoint Nero as his son and heir. But Claudius already had a son, Britannicus who was expected to accede to the role on Claudius’s death. However, Agrippina wanted Nero to rule Rome, so the belief is that she poisoned Claudius to ensure Nero’s succession (Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc, 2014).
Nero became emperor in 54 AD and due to his young age his mother initially helped him rule the empire as regent. She appeared on coins beside him, but this was gradually phased out. In many ways in the early days of his reign he was aided and abetted by his mother, who it seems wanted to rule through him but this did not last. Nero instead favoured his two advisers, Burrus and Seneca. It was under Nero’s instruction that Britannicus was executed within the first five years of his reign (Siteseen Ltd, 2015).
In 62 AD he lost both of his advisers; one retired and the other died which removed all possible restraints placed on Nero. It was after this that Nero acquired his tyrannical reputation. He executed anybody who opposed him or who he perceived to be a threat. This included his many wives, lovers and his own mother who was assassinated after opposing his relationship with his mistress Poppaea (Siteseen Ltd, 2015).
In 64 AD a massive fire destroyed most of Rome, which Nero was blamed for. He is said to have ordered the destruction of Rome in order to determine how Troy would look when set ablaze. He is alleged to have sat on a roof and played musical instruments while the rest of Rome burned. To divert attention away from himself, Nero blamed the Christians (a minor religious group) for the destruction of the city which led to a campaign of persecution. After the fire, Nero helped to house homeless Romans and reconstructed the city. He designated a large area for a new palace and gardens of unequalled magnificence called the “Golden House” (BBC, 2014).
The last remaining years of Nero’s rule were tumultuous to say the least. The empire was in turmoil due to a costly war with Persia. This resulted in the establishment of Armenia as a buffer-zone between the Roman and Persian empires. Meanwhile there were uprisings occurring in Britain, led first by the British Queen Boudicca, then by Judea. Eighty thousand Britons were reported as slaughtered by the Romans. Boudicca later committed suicide (Siteseen Ltd, 2015).
In 65 AD a plot was discovered to overthrow Nero which involved several prominent Romans. This led to the executions of noted figures such as the philosopher Seneca and his nephew Lucan. It is believed that Nero kicked his second wife Poppaea to death in the same year.
Three years later, the Praetorian Guards and their supporters rose up against Nero and declared him an enemy of the state. He fled Rome and committed suicide. A civil war ensued as his succession was fiercely debated (Siteseen Ltd, 2015).
Now I will begin to describe the sculpture in more depth. Stylistically the portrait is revealing, because the sculptor has idealised Nero’s face rather than create a more faithful likeness, as was the Roman tradition for imperial busts/ sculptures. The Roman’s believed that: “the likeness preserves the spirit”. So, the greater the likeness, the more effective the icon. This might suggest that the sculptor did not believe that Nero’s spirit was worth preserving (Honour & Fleming, 2009)
To some extent Nero’s appearance would have been simplified in order to be mass-produced over a wide selection of ephemera. During his reign his portrait would have been replicated on coins, portrait busts and statues to present an image of religious unity and emphasise his prominence as head of state. His likeness therefore, had to be recognizable throughout the empire (Honour & Fleming, 2009).
The sculptor also broke with tradition by incorporating Nero’s charioteer/ gladiator style fringe which would have been unusual at that time as most emperors were expected to conform to preconceived stereotypes and sported styles such as the renowned “short-back-and-sides” which was first popularised by emperor Augustus (Honour & Fleming, 2009).
It seems to me that there is a sinister feel to this sculpture due to the impression of youthful innocence depicted in his smooth features which contrasts dramatically with contemporaneous accounts of his character and reign of terror (BBC, 2014).
In ancient Rome imperial busts were exported all over the empire, to emphasise the leader’s status. The fact that Nero wished to be modelled in a manner of benevolence and generosity is misleading as in his day he was one of the most hated figures to rule the Roman empire. The scroll in his right hand augments the misleading scholarly appearance.
The pose suggests that the figure is democratic and the body language is positive, but it is hard to cut through all of the controversy which surrounds Nero and his subsequent notoriety that has passed down through the passages of time.
Bibliography
BBC. (2014) Claudius (10 BC – 54 AD) [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/claudius.shtml [Accessed 9th October and 4th-8th December 2014]
BBC. (2014) Nero (37 AD – 68 AD) [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/nero.shtml [Accessed 9th October and 4th-8th December 2014] (BBC, 2014)
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc (2014) Julia Agrippina [Online]. Available from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/9818/Julia-Agrippina [Accessed 9th October and 4th-8th December 2014]
Honour, H. & Fleming, J. (2009) Hellenistic and Roman Art. A World History of Art (revised 7th edition). London: Laurence King. pp. 198-202.
Petworth House (n.d.) Guide Book. West Sussex, Petworth House West Sussex. (Petworth House, n.d.)
Petworth House (n.d.) Nero. West Sussex, Petworth House West Sussex.
Siteseen Ltd (2015) Nero [Online]. Available from:
http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/roman-emperors/nero.htm [Accessed 9th October, 4th-8th December 2014 & 28th September 2016]
Lucy Dean 