Italian, 18th century

This handsome bust of an Emperor has traditionally been identified as representing the first Roman Emperor, Augustus (63 BC - AD 14), but arguably shares facial characteristics with portraits of his adopted son, Tiberius (42 BC - AD 37). The bust is typical of the grand busts of emperors and other classical worthies executed to adorn the halls of Italian palazzi of the 17th and 18th centuries. The most famous examples are the set of mixed marble Twelve Caesars in Galleria Borghese in Rome, which had been executed by Giovanni Battista della Porta circa 1570-1580 and which were eventually acquired by Pope Paul V Borghese in 1609. The Pratesi bust, which is executed entirely in white marble, betrays the 18th-century love of surface texture and sculptural drama. A possible candidate for the authorship of the present bust lies in the Carrara-born Baroque sculptor Giovanni Barratta (1670-1747) who was trained by Giovanni Battista Foggini and executed major religious groups including the Altar of the church of San Ferdinandino in Livorno (1711-1713) as well as sculpture for Santo Spirito in Florence (1696-1698). However, Baratta is also known for his exuberant architectural and mythological sculpture which bears some relation to the present bust, particularly in the exaggerated drapery, idealised facial features and love of surface texture. Compare, for example, with the allegorical figures of Wealth and Prudence, executed for Palazzo Giugni, Florence, which were rediscovered by John Winter in 2010.

RELATED LITERATURE

F. Freddolini, C. Milano and J. Winter, Giovanni Baratta: The Statues from Palazzo Giugni Rediscovered, Florence, 2010

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