This naturalistic portrait of the emperor Vespasian (reigned 69-79 C.E.) clearly shows the lined complexion of this battle-hardened emperor, and also the curious 'strained expression' which the Roman writer Suetonius said he had at all times. The loss of the nose is characteristic of the damage often suffered by ancient statues, either through deliberate mutilation or through falling or being toppled from their base.

Concepts

sculpture

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Additional Tags

khan academy, portrait of vespasian, the british museum, portrait of the emperor vespasian (reigned 69-79 c.e.), flavian dynasty (vespasian, titus, domitian)

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 4 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)
• The intended use for this resource is Instructional