Farnese Caesar

myminifactory

This gigantic marble statue was discovered in Rome near the monastery of San Lorenzo, situated in the Spolia Christi district. This area is believed by historians to be the location of the ancient Forum of Trajan and specifically the Basilica Ulpia during medieval times. The sculpture is mounted on a molded base featuring a concave profile and depicts Julius Caesar with classic features, curly hair styled towards his forehead, a notably robust cranium, two deep horizontal creases on his forehead, and a prominent chin. It is part of an extensive series of colossal portraits of the first-century emperors as well as influential figures from Republican Rome, which were originally arranged in the Forum of Trajan and the adjacent Forum of Augustus. The statue, once located at Palazzo Farnese alongside colossal portraits of Vespasian, Tiberius, and Antoninus Pius, was designed to adorn the main entrance of the building according to a plan that was never executed.