Question

Which of the following id a characteristic of roman sculpture exemplified by Augustus of primaporta A. As an official portrait, it depicts an exact likeness of the emperor B. The idealized depiction emphasizes the emperor’s youth, strength, and authority C. The emperor used it as propaganda to show the importance of religion

Answer 1

The right answer is B. This famous marble statue is an idealized depiction of Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Ancient Rome. Although some of his features are depicted realistically - he did have a characteristic fringe, for instance - the emperor is shown as an ideal figure, a young and strong leader, in the standard pose of an orator (it seems that he is going to give a speech to, or exhort, his troops), and wearing military clothes and an armored cuirass (a plate that covers his torso) with an iconography that commemorates the period of peace and stability that he guaranteed for the empire.

Even though Roman portraits were more realistic than Greek portraits, during Augustus's reign the influence of Greek art was very significant, hence the idealism of this famous portrait.