Augustus

Art Historical Context

This exquisite small-scale bronze sculpture, titled *Augustus*, hails from 15th-century Florence and pays homage to the ancient Roman who founded the Roman Empire. Crafted "after the Antique," it reflects the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity, as Florentine artists meticulously studied and replicated Greco-Roman prototypes to revive their idealized forms and heroic ideals. At just 4.65 x 3.16 cm and weighing a mere 33 grams, this intimate plaquette—likely intended for a collector's cabinet or personal study—was cast in bronze with a rich dark brown patina, evoking the timeless a...