Gaius Octavius, Future Emperor Augustus – Large Bust In Carrara Marble, Grand Tour, Circa 183

A large bust in white Carrara marble depicting the young Gaius Octavius, the future Emperor Augustus, created around 1830 in the style of the prestigious ancient sculptures housed in the Vatican.

This remarkable sculpture, carved from Carrara marble of a particularly fine grain, is part of the great tradition of works brought back from Italy by travelers on the Grand Tour, who were fascinated by the masterpieces of Roman antiquity.

The young man is depicted before his rise to power, when he was still merely Gaius Octavius, the grandnephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar, destined to become Rome’s first emperor under the name Augustus.

The sculptor faithfully reproduces the features of the famous ancient portrait preserved in the Gallery of Busts at the Pio-Clementino Museum in the Vatican (inv. 714), which formerly belonged to the prestigious collection of the Roman sculptor Vincenzo Pacetti (1746–1820).

All the iconographic elements are present:

• the characteristic hairstyle with strands arranged in a dovetail pattern on the forehead,
• the idealized face of great classical purity,
• the eyes left without irises, carved in the ancient style,
• the long, powerful neck and the understated elegance of the truncated bust.

The quality of the craftsmanship is remarkable. The proportions are perfectly balanced, the modeling of the face is exceptionally smooth, and the transitions between the different planes are rendered with remarkable delicacy. The finely drawn lips, the carefully sculpted ears, and the delicacy of the hair attest to the craftsmanship of an excellent Italian workshop.

The marble features a beautiful antique patina. The slight grayish inclusion visible on the forehead is a natural vein in the stone and is by no means a flaw.

The bust rests on its original circular marble pedestal.

Note that the right ear has been restored in the past: the fragment was reattached some time ago, and the joint is now slightly visible due to the natural darkening of the old adhesive. Restoration by a specialized workshop could easily make this repair virtually imperceptible.

A decorative work with a commanding presence, this bust evokes the fascination that antiquity held for 19th-century artists and collectors. It would naturally find its place in a collection of neoclassical sculptures, a connoisseur’s cabinet, or a home of character.

Dimensions:

• Height: 53 cm
• Width: 30 cm
• Depth: 20 cm

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