The Immaculate Sculptures of Ancient Rome

Roman Sculpture blended the idealised perfection of Classical Greek sculpture with a greater aspiration for realism. It also absorbed artistic preferences and styles from the East to create images in stone and bronze which rank among the finest works from antiquity. With artists working across a huge empire and ever-changing public tastes over centuries, Roman sculpture is remarkable for its variety.

Aside from their own unique contribution, Roman sculptors have also, with their popular copies of earlier Greek masterpieces, preserved for posterity invaluable works which would have otherwise been completely lost to world art.

• Ludovisi Gaul, 2nd century AD, Altemps Palace.

• The Boxer at Rest, 4th century BC, Palazzo Massimo.

• Silenus with Infant Dionysus, 2nd century AD, Vatican Museums.

• Portonaccio Sarcophagus, late 2nd century AD, Palazza Massimo.

• The Borghese Hermaphrodite, 2nd century AD, Borghese Gallery.

• Hellenistic Prince, 2nd century BC, Palazzo Massimo.

• Sarcophagus of the Spouces, 530-510 BCE, National Etruscan Museum.

• Augustus Primae Portae, 1st century AD, Vatican Museums.

• Corsini Throne, 1st century AD, Corsini Gallery.

• Mastai-Righetti Hercules, 2nd-3rd century BC, Vatican Museums.