This beautiful and serene representation of a woman was carved at the height of Roman Imperial power, and is an outstanding example of classical sculpture. Roman Imperial statuary was perhaps the ultimate expression of conspicuous consumption in a society that was defined by status, wealth and heritage. The emperor was a semi-divine entity in the eyes of the Roman people, and most of the friezes and statues made of the imperial family bore out this fact. It was not uncommon for emperors to be portrayed as Jupiter or Mars, and the sizeable pantheon of Roman deities always provided further guises for the glorification of increasingly effete emperors as the Roman world declined into decadence.Aristocrats and social climbers aped this trend, having themselves depicted as legendary heroes or gods, while prosperous Roman matrons and debutantes were more restrained, choosing to be represented as Diana – goddess of hunting, chastity, and the moon – or Venus, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Venus was doubly important to the Romans because the founder of Rome – Romulus – was, with his twin Remus, descended from Aeneas, who was the son of Venus. This fact was important to the emperors, who claimed that Julius Caesar, Augustus and all of their line were also descended from Romulus, and were thus divine in their own right.Sculptures of this type are known as Venus Marina statues, and can be identified by the coiffure and diadem. This type was especially popular in port towns, and examples have been excavated in places such as Pompeii and Ostia, the major port for Rome. This serene woman is likely to have been an empress or similarly aristocratic member of the Antonine or Hadrianic dynasties. Her face is set in the traditionally impassive poise that characterises the period, with rimmed almond eyes under arched brows, high cheekbones curving gracefully to a rounded jaw, a firm chin and set, straight lips. Her forehead is high and straight, framed by a waved coiffure and topped by a wide diademic band. This is a striking and imposing piece of ancient art. - (X.0203 (LSO))

Antiquities
Ancient Roman