Bath, Art and Architecture: A Marble Bust of Caracalla with Tiberius Auctions of Vienna.

Tuesday, 10 November 2026

A Marble Bust of Caracalla with Tiberius Auctions of Vienna.

Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus, known as Caracalla – from the name of the Gallic robe he used to wear - was born in 186 A.D. to Giulia Domna and Settimio Severo. He went down in history as a cruel emperor for having ordered the assassination of his brother Geta, in 212 A.D.

The predominating historical sources for the rule of Caracalla are Cassius Dio and Herodias, both of whom portray the emperor in an overwhelmingly negative light.

They focus on the martial elements of his character, his cruelty and question his fitness to rule over the empire, implying that his mother Julia Domna shouldered the administrative and domestic burden of his reign.

Much of the historical reporting on Caracalla from these sources takes the form of reported gossip. Herodias reports that rumours that Caracalla and his mother had a sexual relationship were so current in Alexandria that she became widely known by the name of Oedipus’ mother Jocasta.

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The Busts of Caracalla - Some Notes -

I have recently investigated the various Busts of Caracalla with reference to a particular bust cast in 1792 in Coade's Artificial Stone.

see -

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2026/01/coadestone-bust-of-caracalla-indented.html

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During Caracalla's sole reign two types of portrait seem to have been current - the first type breaks with tradition. It is characterized by a deep, grim, downward frown on the forehead. The head has a strong leftward rotation. This is the version that was much copied in the 18th century by Cavaceppi etc and is the version reproduced by Coade. It appears that the first version of this bust to arrive in England is the bust at Holkham Hall in Norfolk

The second type represents Caracalla in the more traditional format for Roman Emperors: calm and composed and represented by the Townley version in the British Museum.

The first type has been attributed to the first years of Caracalla's sole reign, the second to 215-217 AD. Of the latter type, ten examples have survived, all found in Italy.

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The Farnese Busts of Caracalla

At the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, in the Farnese Collection, there are two busts of Caracalla : one in armour, diagonally covered by the drapery of his cloak, originally part of a full statue found in the Baths of Caracalla, damaged and therefore cut into a bust (inv. 6033);

and a second portrait of the same type integrated by Carlo Albacini into a modern bust (inv. 6088).

1. The Farnese Caracalla, Naples - inventory no. 6088.

The bust in to which the head is inserted is not original to it and given the form of the socle was perhaps added by Bartolemeo Cavaceppi.

Cavaceppi also worked as a restorer for the Pope at the Museo Clementino. His fame was firmly established between 1768 and 1772, when he published three volumes of engraved images of works he had restored or possessed, the Raccolta d'antiche statue, busti, teste cognite.

2. Inventory no 6033. Farnese Bust of Caracalla restored by Carlo Albacini -

The eared socle is typical of the work of Albacini and his large workshops on the Corso in Rome

But this type of socle has many ancient precidents and was much employed by Cavaceppi.

Cavaceppi had worked as a restorer for the Pope at the Museo Clementino. His fame was firmly established between 1768 and 1772, when he published three volumes of engraved images of works he had restored or possessed, the Raccolta d'antiche statue, busti, teste cognite.

Albacini had formerly been an assistant of Bartolemeo Cavaceppi.

He restored classical sculptures, notably the Farnese marbles, which Albacini worked on in 1786–89, in preparation for their transfer to Naples under the direction of the German painter Hackert and Domenico Venuti.[5] Some of his restorations were free, by modern standards: in the famous Farnese Aphrodite Kallipygos at Naples, the head, the exposed right breast, left arm and right leg below the knee are restorations by Albacini.