Similarly to Greek rulers, Roman leaders borrowed recognizable features from the appearances of their predecessors. This type of portraiture sought to show what mattered to the Romans powerful character valued above appearances. Veristic portraits, including arguably ugly features, was a way of showing confidence and of placing a value on strength and leadership above superficial beauty. Roman leaders favored the sense of civic duty and military ability over beauty in their portraiture. If the person commemorated with a portrait was found to have committed a crime, the portrait would be destroyed. These portraits were usually accompanied by a dedicatory inscription. Such an honor was provided by the decision of the Senate, usually in commemoration of victories, triumphs and political achievements. In the days of the Republic, full-size statues of political officials and military commanders were often erected in public places. The molds for the masks were made directly from the deceased, giving historians an accurate representation of typically Roman features. Besides wax, masks were made from bronze, marble and terracotta. These death masks were taken from bodies and kept in a home altar. The origin of the realism of Roman portraits may be, according to some scholars, because they evolved from wax death masks. Veristic portrait bust of an old man, head covered ( capite velato), either a priest or paterfamilias (marble, mid-1st century BC) The Romans also depicted warriors and heroic adventures, in the spirit of the Greeks who came before them. Since most emperors from Augustus on were deified, some images are somewhat idealized. īy the imperial age, though they were often realistic depictions of human anatomy, portrait sculpture of Roman emperors were often used for propaganda purposes and included ideological messages in the pose, accoutrements, or costume of the figure. A typical work might be one like the standing figure "A Roman Patrician with Busts of His Ancestors" (c. Portrait sculpture from the Republican era tends to be somewhat more modest, realistic, and natural compared to early Imperial works. Roman funerary art includes many portraits such as married couple funerary reliefs, which were most often made for wealthy freedmen rather than the patrician elite. Several images and statues made in marble and bronze have survived in small numbers. Some busts even seem to show clinical signs. Roman portraiture is characterised by unusual realism and the desire to convey images of nature in the high quality style often seen in ancient Roman art. Originating from ancient Rome, it continued for almost five centuries. Roman portraiture was one of the most significant periods in the development of portrait art. Roman portraiture is characterized by its " warts and all" realism bust of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus, a cast from the original in bronze, found in Pompeii, now in the Naples National Archaeological Museum
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