Artist Creates Stunning Photo-Realistic Images of Roman Emperors

The Vintage ^ | 09/04/2020 | steve Palace

[BenLurkin]

How accurate are these 21st century recreations? Voshart is the first to admit this is a creative project more than a historical one. He tells Smithsonian Magazine the results are “my artistic interpretation”. On Medium he writes the images are “more art than science”.

“Sculptures and busts were idealized images of the emperors” states archaeologist Jane Fejfer from the University of Copenhagen. Referring to Emperor Augustus – the first to rule the Empire from 27 BC – AD 14 – she outlines how “mass-produced models were sent out to local workshops around the kingdom, which they then carved the portraits of”.

Realism and accuracy weren’t the main objective. Fejfer points out that in Augustus’ case he remained forever young. His 41 year reign wasn’t reflected in those portraits’ youthful depictions. She believes “on the whole, the emperor used the portraits to convey his ideology”. For those too out of range to see Augustus in person, a glamorous bust was the next best thing.

[BenLurkin]

[BenLurkin]

Much “artistic license” here imo.

[Red Badger]

Augusts looks like Daniel Craig!........................

[PGR88]

Nero was a redhead?

What were the genetics of Romans before various invasions of Germanic tribes, Muslims, Byzantines, etc…?

[cuban leaf]

Most of ‘em look like pretty nice guys. :)

[jjotto]

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/11/many-imperial-romans-had-roots-middle-east-genetic-history-shows#

[jimmygrace]

The certainly don’t look like the psychopaths that murdered their own relatives and diddled little children...

[SMARTY]

Some have family resemblence

[Chainmail]

Quite cool - but why no Julius or Constantine I?

[aquila48]

Bookmark

[RedStateRocker]

That was only a few of them. There were honorable and hard working ones, and utterly worthless ones.

[Kickass Conservative]

Uh oh, no People of Color or Women?

Time to tear down any references to the Roman Empire.

First up, demolish Caesars Palace.

[Verginius Rufus]

Julius Caesar was not an emperor. The images stop before Constantine I.

Nero's paternal line was Domitius Ahenobarbus...the cognomen means "red beard."

I'm shocked that they don't show Septimius Severus as a black man. After all, he was born in Africa.

/s

[Flying Circus]

I was thinking more like Putin.

[madison10]

Hadrian looks a lot like my husband.

[Pearls Before Swine]

What were the genetics of Romans before various invasions of Germanic tribes, Muslims, Byzantines, etc…?

Italian?

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

Trojan...................

[DannyTN]

Looks like systemic racism to me.

[rlmorel]

True, but I kind of like it. I enjoyed the reconstructions of famous people from the past using death masks.

Interesting.