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Primary sourceSculpturec. 50-40 BCE

Tusculum portrait

c. 50-40 BCE

A marble bust believed to be the only surviving sculpture of Julius Caesar made during his own lifetime.

This bust is thought to be the only surviving sculpted portrait of Caesar made while he was still alive.

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White marble bust of a man with short hair, deeply lined forehead, furrowed brow, and firm mouth, mounted on a stepped marble base with metal clamps against a black background.
Tusculum portrait, Roman bust of Julius Caesar, c. 50-40 BCE. Museum of Antiquities, Turin.

About this source

What it is

This marble bust, dated to around 50-40 BCE, is believed to be the only existing portrait of Julius Caesar carved during his lifetime. It is thought to be a copy of a bronze original and is held in the Museum of Antiquities in Turin, Italy. It was excavated in 1825 and only identified as Caesar in 1940.

Why it matters

Because it may have been made while Caesar was alive, this bust is treated as closer to his real appearance than the many idealized busts made after his death. Its features match those on coins struck shortly before his assassination. Scholars have studied its unusual skull shape and wrinkled neck, features later busts often removed, as signs of how Caesar's image changed over time from general to ruler.

Look closer

  • What details in the face look realistic rather than idealized?
  • Why might later portraits of Caesar look different from this one?
  • Why does it matter whether a portrait was made during someone's life or after their death?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Julius Caesar on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Primary source

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Secondary source

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Secondary source

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Primary source

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Engraving with a Latin caption reading 'Iulius Caesar Veneris beneficio in Cometam mutatur' (plate 150). A man in a laurel wreath, bare-chested and draped, is embraced by a standing figure and a woman with a star-shaped comet. A winged cupid flies at upper right, and a large cloud fills the background.Painting

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