Attribué à GUGLIELMO DELLA PORTA (Parlezza, 1515-Rome,... Lot n° 51

BUST OF THE EMPEROR HADRIAN "STAZIONE TERMINI Rome, ca. 1560 Patinated bronze, marble H. 91 cm, W. 72 cm, D. 26 cm This imposing bronze and marble bust, slightly larger than life, rests on an octagonal marble pedestal. It represents a Roman emperor whose curly hair and beard make it possible to identify him with Hadrian. Hadrian must have adopted this innovative hairstyle in order to distinguish himself from his great-uncle and predecessor Trajan (reign, 98-117). His status as a military leader is highlighted here by the representation of a marble cuirass whose breastplate follows the shape of the body and emphasizes the pectoral muscles. It is decorated with a gorgoneion carved in relief in the centre and a rosette-shaped clasp on the right shoulder. The imperial paludamentum, attached to the left shoulder by means of a circular fibula, conceals the fringed shoulder strap visible on the other side. The finery accentuates the expression of strength that emanates from the bronze head held in place by a strong, fairly short neck. Two well-cleared and carefully hemmed ears frame her face, which looks calm and serene but determined. The modelling of the features is reminiscent of the imperial portraits sculpted by Guglielmo della Porta in the firm treatment of the chin, the nose here slightly arched, and the small closed mouth (fig. 1-2). The forehead is straight, slightly humped by the protrusion of the eyebrow muscles. The gaze is distant. The eyes are wide with a marked caruncular depression. The protruding cheekbones accompany the effects of fullness and hollows around the nose, with its broad bridge and narrow nostrils, surrounded by deep nasolabial folds that extend towards the corners of the mouth. The clear design that reflects the sculptor's confident gesture is particularly evident in the treatment of the hair and the beard, which is the focus of attention here. On the forehead, nine heavy curls, in spirals, are juxtaposed from one ear to the other so that the axial curls are the most imposing. Two loops on the left temple curve to the left, the other seven to the right; the side loops are superimposed on the earlobe. The whole, particularly elaborate, offers an incomparable play of light and shadow (fig. 3). The hair waving "in terraces" from the back of the skull adds to the naturalism of our portrait. The contrast between the ample curls of the hair and the short beard, finely chiselled into small, pressed locks and worked into commas, is striking. The moustache is discreet, showing the central part of the upper lip. The comparison of our bust with the monetary effigies allows us to date it to the beginning of the emperor's reign. This cuirassed bust is part of the line of official portraits developed since Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). The prototype of the portrait, defined in the official workshops, had to be approved by the sovereign before being distributed throughout the Empire, displayed in public places and reproduced on coins. The model was renewed over time. The one hundred and fifty portraits of Hadrian that have come down to us testify to the exceptional attention that the emperor paid to his image, rivaling Augustus in this respect. Specialists have identified seven types of official portraits correlated to seven different periods of his reign, based on numismatics. The present one corresponds to the type I portrait, known as the "Stazione Termini", named after the station where the copy now kept in the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme was found in 1941. Eight examples have now been identified. One of them is in the Uffizi in Florence; another in the archaeological museum in Naples, which comes from the collections of the Farnese family, of which Guglielmo della Porta was the appointed sculptor; another in the Uffizi in Florence, where the Della Porta family workshop was also active. The relationship with the bust in Florence suggests that our artist had access to the ancient model (fig. 4). Our bust, which mixes materials, continues a classical tradition to which Guglielmo della Porta had given new vigour. He made several busts or copies of antiques for Roman palaces. The two Camilluses acquired by Cardinal Scipio Borghese (1587-1633) reproduce the bronze one in the Capitoline (fig. 5). While the marble bodies may be antique, the limbs in black patinated bronze are the work of Guglielmo della Porta. This same manner of sculpting faces and bringing them to life is found in the bust of a man preserved in Montreal (fig. 6) as well as in our portrait of Hadrian, datable to c. 1560. His presence is attested in Rome as early as 1546.<