Bust of Emperor Commodus

A.D. 180–185

Medium

Marble

Dimensions

69.9 × 61 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-208613

The expression on this portrait of the Roman Emperor Commodus (ruled A.D. 180-192) perhaps belies his noted love of combat and fighting in the arena. Unlike his more intellectual and philosophical father, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus was ruthless enough to order killings even of his own sister and aunt. He is depicted in military garb: a draped robe and fibula, or pin, rather than in the clothing of a senator or religious figure. In his era, it was customary for official portraits of rulers to be carved in Rome. From these, multiple copies would be carved, and sent out to provincial capitals around the empire, where they would become the models for additional portraits. Historians classify such portraits as numbered "types," which correspond to eras of the subjects' lives. By comparing elements such as hairstyles with those on portraits depicted on coins, scholars can date such types quite precisely. This bust is an example of Commodus' fifth type, which corresponds to his sole ascendancy to the throne, after serving as co-regent with his father. When the Getty purchased this bust in 1992, scholars debated whether it was the work of a Roman carver, or a superb copy by a later a…