Roman Imperial Portrait Practice in the Second Century AD: Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger

Roman Imperial Portrait Practice in the Second Century ADMarcus Aurelius and Faustina the YoungerChristian NiederhuberOxford Monographs on Classical ArchaeologyA systemic exploration of a complex and much-debated topic, presented in a way that is easy to understand and clearly structuredUnderpinned by a wealth of archaeological evidence that provides new insights into the functioning of the imperial image in RomeRichly illustrated with over 250 black and white and colour imagesDescriptionIt has long been thought that imperial portrait types were officially commissioned to commemorate specific historical moments and that they were made available to both the mint and the marble workshops in Rome, assuming a close correspondence between portraits on coins and in the round. All of this, however, has never been clearly proven, nor has it been disproven by a close systematic examination of the evidence on a broad material basis by those scholars who have questioned it.Through systematic case studies of Faustina the Younger’s and Marcus Aurelius’ portraits on coins and in sculpture, this book provides new insights into the functioning of the imperial image in Rome in the second century AD that move a difficult, much-discussed subject forward decisively. The new evidence presented here has made it necessary to adjust the established model; more flexibility is needed to describe the processes and practices behind the phenomenon of ‘repeated’ imperial portraits and how the imperial portrait worked in the mint of Rome and in the metropolitan marble workshops.Table of Contents1:Introduction: Aims and Methods2:Faustina: Imperial Coins and Medallions3:Faustina: Marble Portraits4:Faustina: Discussion5:Marcus Aurelius: Imperial Coins and Medallions6:Marcus Aurelius: Marble Portraits7:Marcus Aurelius: Discussion8:Organization of the Mint of Rome and System of Production9:Metropolitan Marble Technology and Marble Workshops10: Imperial Portrait Practice: Norms and Models in the Second Century11:ConclusionAppendix: Portrait Lists of Faustina and MarcusIllustrations