Livia at The Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris

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This portrait of Livia, wife of Augustus, belongs to the tradition of Roman Republican portraiture and illustrates the classicizing style that triumphed during the reign of Augustus. This official portrait served the propaganda of the essentially monarchist regime installed during the late first century BC under cover of a restoration of the Republic (59-27 BC). Judging by the material - basanite - it dates from Octavian's victory over Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC. This basanite head is a portrait of Livia (born circa 57 BC, died in AD 29), comparable to her effigies on coins and hardstone cameos (such as the one in The Hague). Livia, a member of the Roman nobility, played a major role in the foundation of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Her children from a first marriage to a member of the Claudian family were adopted by Octavian Augustus, whom she married in 38 BC before he became emperor. This work is a fine example of the propaganda of the new regime, which claimed to be a mere restoration of the Republic rather than a monarchy. In reality, almost all power (political, military, and religious) was now in the hands of one man: Augustus. Livia's hairstyle is one that was highly fashionable from the mid-first century BC: a roll of hair ("nodus," in Latin) over her forehead, with a little bun at the nape of the neck and a short central braid (hidden by a veil in this portrait). The austere features link this face to traditional Republican portraiture, which served to vaunt the merits of the ruling class. The work also illustrates the classicizing style that triumphed during the reign of Augustus (27 BC-AD 14): official portraits were idealized in reference to fifth-century BC Athenian classicism, thereby expressing Augustus' desire to affirm the restoration of a "golden age." Basanite is an extremely hard material that gives an almost metallic sheen to this head, so that it resembles bronze portraits from the same period. However, the hieratic quality, the strictly frontal presentation, and the refinement of the material also recall the royal art of Hellenistic Egypt. This has been interpreted as a deliberate reference to Octavian's seizure of the kingdom of Cleopatra VII after his victory over Mark Anthony and the Egyptian fleet at the Battle of Actium. This portrait probably dates to the period just after that battle, circa 30 BC, when Livia was 27 years old.   This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email [email protected] to find out how you can help.

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