Nero
Original title: Nero
kurzbeschreibung
In 1638, Paulus Pontius made this engraving of the Roman emperor Nero as a bust. The print is part of a series of ruler portraits based on ancient marble busts.
Description
The head faces forward, turned slightly to the left, with a gaze that looks into the distance. Curly, wavy hair and a thick, wavy beard define the face. A dark, textured background pushes the features forward. Along the bottom edge runs an inscription that names the emperor and points to an ancient marble model.
Context
Paulus Pontius, a Flemish engraver, worked in the workshop of Peter Paul Rubens. His portrait from 1638 belongs to a group of engravings after ancient sculptures that served scholars and collectors in the 17th century as models. The inscription cites an ancient marble bust as the source.
Impact
The precise rendering of the facial features and the dark surrounding space give the portrait a dignified, almost monumental presence. Hair and beard are worked in such detail that the portrait seems alive.
Technique
In this engraving, lines are cut into a copper plate. Fine hatching creates sculptural shadows and shapes the face. The print measures about 31.3 x 20 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)