Young Octavian

Object Details

Artist

Edmonia Lewis, born Greenbush (now Rensselaer), NY 1844-died London, England 1907

Sitter

Octavian

Luce Center Label

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.”

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins

ca. 1873

Object number

1983.95.180

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Sculpture

Medium

marble

Dimensions

16 3/4 x 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. (42.5 x 21.0 x 15.9 cm.)

See more items in

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department

Painting and Sculpture

On View

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 20A

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Ethnic\Italian

Occupation\other\aristocrat

Portrait male\bust

Record ID

saam_1983.95.180

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7e285d5e8-d395-4ff4-82c9-4e03bd6d83ef