Portrait of Agrippina the Elder, on Modern Bust

Judging by the facial features, which are characterized by a fair and dignified countenance it is possible to recognize Agrippina the Elder, a prominent woman of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus and mother of Caligula. Celebrated for her strong spirit and moral loftiness, she was exiled by Emperor Tiberius to Ventotene, where she died. The identification of the portraits of the princess derives from numismatic comparisons, in which she exhibits a hairstyle with central parting and two bands of curls that frame the face, also covering the ears. On the nape the hair is tied in several braids to form a small ponytail. Many portraits were probably made after 37 A.D. by order of Caligula, who after becoming Emperor, tried to rehabilitate the figure of his mother. Following this desire it is plausible to hypothesize that the Torlonia portrait came about because of this initiative.

Inventory: MT 523

Material: White marble

Technique: Work sculpted through the use of: chisels (also square-tipped and toothed) rasps

Dating: Imperial age

Origin: From Tivoli area or from Cavaceppi Studio