Marcus Aurelius - Representations of Emperor-Philosopher Reflection of stoic thought in Relief and Sculpture

Buntak, Marija. (2018). Marcus Aurelius - Representations of Emperor-Philosopher Reflection of stoic thought in Relief and Sculpture. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Art History. [mentor Milinović, Dino].

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Abstract

The paper addresses artistic legacy of Marcus Aurelius, trying to find links between his life, his thoughts, and the visual perceptions of his figure. It begins with elaboration of the four portrait types, whereby between more than 150 preserved portraits, 29 of them have been selected. Some of them are portraits from monuments that have been analyzed further in this paper – the Equestrian Statue and the Column of Marcus Aurelius, and the three relief panels that are held in the Museo del Palazzo dei Conservatori. On the eight panel reliefs from the Arch of Constantine, that are also represented in the paper, the Aurelius' portraits have been re-carved to resemble and to present the likeness of Constantine. Monuments and panel reliefs (which were once part of the monument(s) too) had been built to celebrate Marcus Aurelius' victories in the First (and Second) Marcomannic War. Their iconography presents him as the emperor dedicated to his duty, ethics, mercy, righteousness and devoutness, and as the emperor-philosopher who proved that he is equally successful as the emperor-warrior, therefore the history remembers him as a role-model that should be followed.

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