Augustus of Prima Porta, from the archaeological model

The Augustus of Prima Porta, now preserved in the Vatican Museums in Rome, is a larger-than-life marble sculpture. It was excavated from the home of Livia, wife of Augustus, in the villa of Prima Porta in 1863. Also called Augustus Loricato (from the legionary breastplate that covers him), this beautiful armored portrait of the emperor Augustus was often translated into bronze following the taste for classical antiquities of the Grand Tour. The sculpture in question is not signed but was almost certainly made by a specialized Roman foundry. In this edition of the subject, the detailed reproduction of the relief decoration on the lorica is of good quality. Equally meticulous is the rendering of the drapery and the description of the facial features and hands. State of preservation: good.

The Augustus of Prima Porta, now preserved in the Vatican Museums in Rome, is a larger-than-life marble sculpture. It was excavated from the home of Livia, wife of Augustus, in the villa of Prima Porta in 1863. Also called Augustus Loricato (from the legionary breastplate that covers him), this beautiful armored portrait of the emperor Augustus was often translated into bronze following the taste for classical antiquities of the Grand Tour. The sculpture in question is not signed but was almost certainly made by a specialized Roman foundry. In this edition of the subject, the detailed reproduction of the relief decoration on the lorica is of good quality. Equally meticulous is the rendering of the drapery and the description of the facial features and hands. State of preservation: good.