First
Room - Room of the charioteers
“Eight herms of
charioteers”
from the Shrine of Hercules Cubans
(hypothetical attribution), in the area of Viale Trastevere
“Plotina” about 120, Trajan's wife, from the Baths of Neptune in Ostia
“The
personality of Plotina influenced a lot the formation of Hadrian and, according
to sources, even his rise to power: linked to Hadrian with an almost maternal
deep friendship if not a love affair, she would have reached the point of
falsifying the last will of her husband in his favor. The belated evidence of
gratitude from Hadrian shown on coins from the year 134 for the woman who had
opened the doors of power for him, giving him also her niece Sabina - daughter
of Matidia, sister of Trajan - as wife, was probably due to his intent to
minimize the rumors about their alleged relationship” (Elena Calandra)
“Statue of
Trajan-Heracles”
“Two
portraits of Sabina” wife of Hadrian, one from the Victor
Emmanuel Monument area with significant traces of colors and one from the Appian Way
“Hadrian” about 117 from S. Bibiana
“The fact
that Hadrian used to wear a beard, expression of his philhellenism and function
connoting the concept of sapientia (knowledge), plays a crucial role also from
a formal point of view. Along with the curly and plastic locks of hair, it
works as an element of vivid chiaroscuro contrast with the smooth and bright
surfaces of the face. In a solidly classical composition is introduced
therefore, albeit still mildly, an idea of plasticity and baroque exuberance
that will find a strong emphasis in later portraits” (Gian Luca Grassigli -
TMG)
“Antinous” from the Magna Mater field at Ostia with
the faces of two unidentified people in the diadem, perhaps Nerva and Hadrian
and traces of red in his hair
It is
believed that at least 2,000 statues of Antinous existed in ancient times of
which only about 115 are currently extant
“Relief of Antinous
Silvanus”
from Lanuvio
“Funerary relief of
the Decii”
from the Via Ostiense
“Heroic Antoninus
Pius” from
Terracina with chlamys buckled on the shoulder maybe like the Diomede
Cuma-Monaco type of the fifth century BC widely used by public figures and
Roman emperors
“Statue of Faustina
Minor” wife
of Marcus Aurelius with head maybe not relevant, of the so called praying type
perhaps a reworking of a type created for Livia
“Two friezes of
Provinces”
(maybe Thrace and Egypt) from the Temple
of Hadrian
Fourth
Room - Period of Marcus Aurelius (161/180) and Commodus (180/192)
“Statue of Lucilla” sister of Marcus Aurelius
“Portrait of Crispina” wife of Commodus
