Attempted realistic models of Roman emperors and empresses

Watching these artists work is mesmerizing! I'm not sure about the end results but their models are certainly lifelike. Watch the video and see what you think. I wish they'd done Septimius Severus.



Here are some screen caps of a few figures. Domna looks recognizable. Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius... hmm.



Julia Domna denarius, Fecunditas/Tellus and the Four Seasons
My coin's portrait is not the most artistic of Domna. There are other coins which truly resemble the sculpture shown in the video.


Hadrian's sculpture doesn't seem as believable, at least to me. The nose, jaw, cheeks and hair (guess that's everything!) just don't seem right. You can see more angles of it in the video. What do you think?

Hadrian "Travel Series" denarius; Africa


This Marcus Aurelius doesn't seem quite right either, although if his coins are accurate his looks changed considerably over the years. His face takes on a pinched and bug-eyed look in his later years. The video shows profile shots so you can compare to the coins more easily.

Marcus Aurelius diobol; uraeus. Alexandria, regnal year 12. Ex Dattari Collection

 

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I agree with your reservations. It's compelling, but I'm sceptical of these reconstructions. Coins are much better. And I prefer a little left to the imagination. It's surprising to me how little ancient portraits, including coins, idealized their subjects.

 

I think the famous equestrian statue of Marcus is more compelling...

 

Amazing! Thanks for posting this @TIF ! The video that follows it in the sequence (as it comes up in my browser) about the painted statues is fascinating too.

 

I find those painted statues so jarring! Perhaps it just reflects what we're accustomed to, but they look so garish. I guess it was desirable back then though.

Funny how we associate uncolored marble busts and statues with elegance and grandeur, yet when created they were technicolor extravaganzas perhaps more like something we'd see in a carnival today.

 

Super cool! I'm with you on Hadrian being way off. But that Julia Domna is great! I've always wondered what that hair would look like and they did a great job on here IMO.

 

You are also comparing a side portrait to a (mostly) frontal portrait for Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. The Julia Domna is almost completely facing to the side, so it is understandable that she would look the most recognizable. I’d like to see side-by-side comparisons of the other two with coins and busts.

But as I am someone with prosopagnosia, any opinion I have on the recognizability of these figures can be taken with a grain of salt.

 

They do show profiles of most of these in the video. While the Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius are slightly more coin-like in profile, I think both missed the mark.

Domna's singular hairstyle helps immensely in terms of immediate recognition. Among other things, I don't think they accurately captured Hadrian's hair. For that matter, most of the men don't have terribly distinctive hairstyles so that makes identification more dependent on facial features.

 

One way to find out:

Marcus Aurelius



Believable.



Hadrian.



Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............. not really seeing it... I would expect a taller face and a more parabolic (for lack of a better word) profile.

 

I would like to see what comes from a police sketch artist given 100 coins to produce his likeness. Would it strike us as better or worse? IMO these have strange 'looks' on their faces. Were they afraid?

 

Amazing how much they look like living people even if they don't always capture the look of the ancient sculptures quite right.

I think the Domna is the most accurate.

 

I’m not seeing it either, but it’s still a really neat video and concept.

 

Interesting video TIF. Thanks for posting. Nice try on their part, but I too don't care much for the end results.

Domna's hair was most likely crimped to death with those ancient Roman hair curling tools. I doubt if she would be seen in public looking so frizzy. We don't know if she ever used wigs.

Marcus had pale white skin described as being somewhat translucent. Supposedly he also had bulging eyes. He certainly looks somewhat strange on some of my coins, and more normal on others. His checkered health history may account for the differences. I suspect his appearance would startle us if we had access to a time machine.

Recreating Septimius Severus may have been problematic since some people think he was black. I don't know much about that though...

As always...a very subjective opinion.

 

For ancient portraits, I tend IMHO to prefer ancient natural engravers and sculptors.
That's a mere personal opinion, just like others.

 

isn't that so true!

 

i can associate people i have seen that i believe look much like an emperors bust.

 

Off my phone, on my laptop...so here's the equestrian statue of Marcus. In close ups, his eyes bulge out a bit.

 

Coool!

 

Yeah, the only one I don't quite get is Hadrian. I guessed the other right away (hair big for JD).

Guess who?