Young Octavian

Item

Title
Young Octavian
Description
Young Octavian, or Augustus, shows the adopted heir of Julius Caesar. It is a copy of a sculpture in the Vatican galleries that dates from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Many artists copied this piece, and it became so popular that tourists could even order reproductions from a catalogue. Edmonia Lewis’s version was considered to be one of the best available, as described by a descendant of one of her patrons: “[It] seemed to all of us the best reproduction of the original then offered by any artist in Rome.” (Smithsonian Collections Search Center)
Identifier
1983.95.180
Date
1873
Creator
Lewis, Edmonia
Medium
Marble
Format
16 3/4 x 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. (42.5 x 21.0 x 15.9 cm.)
Rights
© 2018 Smithsonian
Site pages
Sculpture

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Tags

Edmonia Lewis sculpture marble Italian portrait male bust