Portrait of a young prince, kown as Romolo Augustolo on an ancient bust

myminifactory

The portrait of a young prince is placed on an ancient bust not pertinent to leontè. In the catalog of the Torlonia Museum, the work was identified as a portrait of Romolo Augustolo, son of Maxentius, found in the circus of the same name on the Via Appia. The particular hairstyle was the subject of study, in fact it recalls a type of hairstyle in vogue in late antiquity, which can bring the portrait closer to an identification with a prince of the Constantinian family, such as the porphyrogen son Constantine II or Constant II. The bangs are compact on the forehead, the locks are raised and swollen, separated in the center of the forehead and longer on the cheekbones and nape. However, this hairstyle also incorporates models in vogue in the Trajan and Neronian age. It is therefore possible to assert that the portrait depicts a young prince, as denoted by the oak crown that surrounds his head.