What Is This 2,000-Year-Old Roman Sculpture Trying to Tell Us About Power? | Sotheby's

A 2,000-year-old Roman imperial marble sculpture from Sotheby’s Magnum Opus collection explores how art was used to communicate power and legitimize imperial authority. The sculpture was designed to remain in its temple context beyond the reign of a single ruler, while a distinctive bearded barbarian head symbolizes Rome’s conquering presence and the establishment of imperial power.

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