id: 153358 accession number: 1986.5 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1986.5 updated: 2021-06-09 09:01:42.863000 The Emperor as Philosopher, probably Marcus Aurelius (reigned AD 161-180), c. AD 180–200. Turkey, Bubon(?) (in Lycia), Roman, late 2nd Century. Bronze, hollow cast in several pieces and joined; overall: 193 cm (76 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 1986.5 title: The Emperor as Philosopher, probably Marcus Aurelius (reigned AD 161-180) title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: c. AD 180–200 creation date earliest: 180 creation date latest: 200 current location: 103 Roman creditline: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund copyright: --- culture: Turkey, Bubon(?) (in Lycia), Roman, late 2nd Century technique: bronze, hollow cast in several pieces and joined department: Greek and Roman Art collection: GR - Roman type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 193 cm (76 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Year in Review for 1986 opening date: 1987-02-04T05:00:00 Year in Review for 1986. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 4-March 15, 1987). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * MFA Boston 1967-70, Ancient Art From Private Collections
Indianapolis Museum of Art (1974) 220-223 --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: This sculpture was cast in 29 pieces, expertly joined together to create one figure (with at least one more piece for the head, now lost). digital description: The extremely high quality and monumental scale of this bronze draped figure suggest that it is an imperial portrait. Unusually, however, the pose and dress resemble those of a Greek philosopher rather than a Roman statesman (wearing a chiton and himation rather than toga). For these reasons, even without a head to confirm the identity, scholars have suggested this likely represents Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor known for his philhellenism and Stoic writings. wall description: The extremely high quality and monumental scale of this bronze draped figure suggest that this is an imperial portrait. The pose with left leg forward, right arm raised to the chest, and right hand visible - is identical to several Greek portraits of philosophers. The figure is most probably the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who was a student of Stoicism, a set of Greek philosophical beliefs popular among educated Romans of his day. Marcus Aurelius wrote a collection of philosophical reflections called Meditations. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Kozloff, Arielle P. "The Cleveland Bronze: The Emperor as Philosopher." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 74, no. 3 (1987) page number: pp. 84-99 url: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25159978 Maximilian Lubos, "Bubon Bronzes _ New Perspectives," in Colloque international sur les bronzes antiques / Proceedings of the XVIIth International Congress on Ancient Bronzes, Izmir, eds. Alessandra R. Giumlia-Mair, and Carol C. Mattusch. 2016. page number: pp. 265-273 (ill. Fig. 5a). url: Cleveland Museum of Art, “Museum Unveils Monumental Roman Bronze Sculpture,” February 1, 1987, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. page number: url: https://archive.org/details/cmapr3448 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. page number: Reproduced: p. 14 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1991/page/n29 Edmondson, J. C., and Alison Keith. Roman Dress and the Fabrics of Roman Culture. Toronto [Ont.]: University of Toronto Press, 2008. page number: Reproduced: fig 3.8 url: Howlett-Martin, Patrick. Art, Nationalism and Cultural Heritage: Artworks Belong Where They Are Found. [Place of publication unknown] : [Createspace Independent Publishing Platform],2017. page number: Reproduced: p. 91; Mentioned: pp. 90-91 url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1986.5/1986.5_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1986.5/1986.5_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1986.5/1986.5_full.tif