The city of Nice has just acquired, for its Archaeology museum, a major sculpture, formerly updated in the Cimiez district.
It is a white marble head of Emperor Claude (10 BC – 54 of our era), grandson of Augustus, son of Roman General Drusus and the niece of Augustus, Antonia Minor. A part of the new museum will soon be devoted to this insignificant acquisition for the Niçoises and Niçois heritage.
Technique : round-box
Material: marble
Dimensions: Height 26.7 cm Width: 20.2 cm
Datation: around 50-54 ap. J.C.
The eyes, whose pupils and incised iris have been filled, are small and falling while the cheeks are dug and the nose is broken. The wrinkles on the forehead, as well as the deep furrows descending from the nose to the risers, suggest a mature man.
The object concerned by this project is a head of Emperor Claude, grandson of Augustus, son of Roman general Drusus and the niece of Auguste Antonia Minor. Claude was born in Lyon, 1erAugust 10 BC and his reign ended his death in the year 54 of our era. This portrait is attached to those of the first Julio-Claudians by his hairstyle composed of steep wicks on the front and lateral wicks brought back to the front. The studies of Miguel Beltran Lloris (1981), Anne-Kathrein Massner (1982) and Danièle Terrer (1985) gave the portrait to Emperor Claude. The fringe of Cimiez’s portrait, unknown to all the fringe series identified by Beltran Lloris, appears as a new type. This portrait, which enriches the existing typologies, presents itself as an essential reference for the study of the imperial iconography of the classic period of the Julio-Claudians.
This head, from the Cimiez district, has its full place in the permanent collections of the museum. Indeed, since its creation in 1960 by archaeologist Fernand Benoit, the museum called “site museum”, aims to present the collections from the archaeological excavations of the ancient city.
In addition, the acquisition of this object by the city of Nice is essential to illustrate the history ofCemenelum.
Emperor Claude, who reigned over the Empire from 41 to 54, was a competent administrator who enlarged his Empire. In Gaul, he raised several cities as a municipe and granted Roman citizenship to many provincials. In particularCemenelum,where he granted the inhabitants of the city the Latin law.
Three major objects illustrate this evolution of the status of the city. The statue of Antonia minor, which is an indirect tribute to the inhabitants of the city to Claude and a dedication dedicated to Antonia, which could be associated with the statue. The head of Emperor Claude comes in addition to these two objects offering visitors to the museum a representation of the emperor.
In addition, it was decided in the new scientific and cultural project (PSC), in which the museum is positioned as the reference point of romanity for the territory of the province ofAlpes-maritimaeto make this emperor and his family the key to the new museographic presentation. The exhibition of this portrait close to the statue of Antonia minor appears essential because of the role played by this emperor in the administrative history of the city.
A part of the new museum will be devoted to the presentation of the administrative history of the city and its evolution going from the status of township of the prefecture ofAlpes-Martimaeand residencepraefectus. to that of the provincial capital under the reign of Nero.
Photo: Centre Camille Jullian (Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Minist Culture & Com) / Loïc Damelet
Publié le thursday 2 january 2025 à 13:04