Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
One can depict or assume a lot about a past culture from their portraits, statues and other works of art. Throughout history, Romans have been known as a very powerful and warmongering nation. They respected older people and valued three virtues: pietas (respect for authority and tradition), fides (being true to ones responsibilities), religio (common belief) and gravitas (seriousness). These values can be traced throughout the portraits minted on the coins and the busts of valuable historical figures.
By looking at the facial structure, the people portrayed seem to prioritize power and seriousness over aesthetics and fashion. Their stern expressions look very threatening and unsettling to me, which is not surprising, considering some of those people were highly respected figures in their culture. I find their toughened representation as a striking contrast compared to the usual portrayal of high ranking officials, which focused on making them look more aesthetically pleasing than they were in real life.
From the perspective of modern people, they would have seemed rather authoritarian, strict and rough, both visually and in terms of personality. The men portrayed on the coins and busts would have been perceived as a serious threat or someone not worth angering. Moreover, these busts could provide people with an idea of how the portrait and the idea of the perfect person have changed in society.
In conclusion, I find the men portrayed on the busts and coins to be rather unusual looking. However, I can certainly comprehend the values and personality that they may have represented during their time. The society of that time respected seriousness and worshipped strength, thus conveying that in the portrayal of the officials. The people of the present may not have found those men to be attractive, but they would have certainly felt unsettled and threatened by simply looking at these works. Thus, one can see the shift in the portrait of the perfect person in the past and nowadays.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.