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Portrait Bust of the Empress Claudia Octavia | musefully
Portrait Bust of the Empress Claudia Octavia, AD 50–70. marble, Overall: 38.2 cm (15 1/16 in.). Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1925.943. CC0.
Portrait Bust of the Empress Claudia Octavia
AD 50–70
Maker Unknown
Greek and Roman Art
Portrait Bust of the Empress Claudia Octavia, AD 50–70. Italy, Roman, 1st Century. Marble; overall: 38.2 cm (15 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1925.943 This portrait bust depicts a young woman whose idealized features and elaborate hairstyle may identify her as the empress Claudia Octavia (r. AD 54-62), unfortunate first wife of the notorious emperor Nero. Over her tunic she wears a stola, a long garment hanging from both shoulders and distinguishing her as a married, upper-class woman. Although beloved by the Roman citizenry and described by the historian Tacitus as “aristocratic and virtuous,” Octavia was eventually divorced and banished by Nero, then ordered put to death. The complex coiffure includes four elements: parted waves (top), tight curls (sides), hanging ringlets (shoulders, back), and a braided knot (back).