18Th Century Italian Marble Plaque Of A Roman Emperor

A weathered late 18th century Italian white statuary marble plaque of a Roman emperor, possibly Julius Caesar, circa 1780.

At over 240 years old, this plaque resembles an old, ancient fragment, with losses and weathering as if it has been plucked straight from 1st century ancient Rome.

It depicts a Roman portrait profile in high relief of a male dressed in Roman attire with a corona triumphalis laurel wreath crown atop his head. The famed Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, is often depicted wearing a headpiece such as this, leading one to believe that this is likely a depiction of him.

Handcrafted, this antique marble plaque is to be admired for its sense of life and naturalism. The Emperor is carved with effortless distinction and detail, the artist capturing the very essence of their subject, the definition of the muscles through the face and the neck aligning with the Emperor’s stern, authoritarian expression.

It is a superb decorative piece for an interior where it could be affixed to a wall using the hook to the reverse or displayed on a stand in a collector’s cabinet.

CONDITION REPORT

Good structural condition. Weathered. Obvious losses. Various faults running through it. Back is flat with a hook for hanging. Hairline fractures in places; these are stable. On the bottom, there's traces of blu-tac which has drawn the oils and stained.