Part of National Museums Liverpool

Statue of 'Faustina the Elder'

59.148.51

Part of

Ince Blundell collection

Courtesy of National Museums Liverpool, World Museum

About this object

White marble portrait of a woman, often identified as Faustina the Elder, restored with statue of black marble.
The head did not originally belong to the body and seems to have been re-cut to fit into the veil, which forms part of the cloak. The front hair is combed backwards in crimped waves from either side of a central parting, leaving the ears free. It falls low over the forehead and forms an almost straight hair line The face and hairstyle is of the Severe style of portraiture. The hairstyle is of the tower type similar to the one worn by Faustina Maior. The body of the statue copies a Hellenistic type and is dated by Kruse to the early Antonine period (Hadrianic or early Antonine 120-150 AD).The hand and both feet which poke out of the clothing are restorations, as is some of the drapery itself. The statue has been damaged at the waist and at the base of the veil, and there are large scratches on the back.

Object specifics

  • Type
    Art
  • Culture
    Roman Imperial
  • Artist/Maker
  • Place made
    Europe: Southern Europe: Italy: Rome
  • Date made
    2nd Century AD
  • Materials
    Marble
  • Location
    Item currently on loan
  • Acquisition
    Gift of Col. Joseph W Weld, 1959
  • Collector
    Henry Blundell
  • Place collected
    Europe: Northern Europe: UK: England: London
  • Date collected
    1800-06
  • Measurements
    1800 mm x 610 mm x 490 mm x 498 g
  • Note
    Blundell included the statue in his Account and he appreciated it for its scale as well as of the qualities of the portrait. He also demonstrated his knowledge of the character of Faustina as the wife of Marcus Aurelius. Compared by Fittschen with similar portrait in the Villa Borghese, both portraits considered by Fittschen to be replicas, dated to about 140 AD ( Fittschen: catalogue no 89.95, 96 for their hairstyle ). The head was reassembled with the statue by National Museums Liverpool Conservation Department in 1975. The black marble according to Blundell was from Lemnos and the head from Parian marble.
  • Related people
    Henry Blundell ( Collector, previous owner); 1st Lord Cawdor ( Previous owner); Joseph William Col Sir Weld ( Previous owner)

Explore related

Publications

  • A Catalogue of the Ancient Marbles at Ince Blundell Hall

    Ashmole, Bernard

    Author: Ashmole, Bernard
    Publisher: Clarendon Press
    Date: 1929
    Description: An illustrated catalogue of the ancient sculptures collected by Henry Blundell and formerly at Ince Blundell Hall.

  • Ancient Marbles in Great Britain

    Michaelis, A

    Author: Michaelis, A
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
    Date: 1882
    Description:

  • Katalog der römischen Porträts in den Capitolinischen Museen und den anderen kommunalen Sammlungen der Stadt Rom. III. Kaiserinnen- und Prinzessinnenbildnisse

    Fittschen, K et Zanker P

    Author: Fittschen, K et Zanker P
    Publisher: Ph von Zabern
    Date: 1983
    Description:

  • Notes on a New Edition of Michaelis: Ancient Marbles in Great Britain

    Vermeule, C; von Bothmer, D

    Author: Vermeule, C; von Bothmer, D
    Publisher:
    Date: 1959-04
    Description:

  • The Ince Blundell Collection of Classical Sculpture. Volume I - the Portraits. Part 1: The Female Portraits

    Fejfer, Jane; Southworth, Edmund

    Author: Fejfer, Jane; Southworth, Edmund
    Publisher: HMSO
    Date: 1991
    Description:

Events

  • Sale of the effects of 1st Baron Cawdor

    Start date: 1800-06
    End date: 1800-06
    Description: Sale of the effects of John Campbell, 1st Baron Cawdor, in London.

Ownership

Previous owners

  • Joseph William Col Sir Weld

    Owned from: 1958
    How acquired: By descent
    Owned until: 1959
    Disposal method: Donation

  • Henry Blundell

    Owned from: 1800-06
    How acquired: Purchased
    Owned until: 1810
    Disposal method: Bequest

  • 1st Lord Cawdor

    Owned from: Unknown or unrecorded
    How acquired: Unknown or unrecorded
    Owned until: 1800-06
    Disposal method: Sold
Object view = Humanities
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