Marcia Furnilla
Title
Marcia Furnilla
Date
90-100 C.E., Flavian Period
Artist or Workshop
Unknown
Materials
Marble
Height of the work
191 cm tall
Provenience
Possibly from a Trajanic Tomb
Current Location
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, Denmark
Description and Significance
Description:
The statue called Marcia Furnilla depicts a Roman matron in the guise of Venus. The figure has an elaborate hairstyle with a halo of curls framing her face. The remaining hair is divided into braids that are then twisted into a large bun at the back of her head. Her eyes are large and have faint wrinkles underneath. Likewise, there are distinct lines from her nostrils down towards her tightly closed lips. Her brow is heavy and her nose is rather long. Her head leans forward, bringing the shoulders slightly forward as well. The body is nude with the figure’s right hand is covering her breasts and her left arm is in front of her hip. The body appears smooth and round. The breasts are full and the public area is unnaturally hairless. The waist is slightly narrower than the rest of the body, but it, too, appears fleshy. The figure’s weight is fully on her left foot in contrapposto position which further emphasizes her curves. Her thighs are full and slightly disproportionately in length. Her right foot is lifted up slightly, resulting in a bend in the right knee. There is a small post behind her left leg. Directly next to the right foot, there are the two smaller feet. There are clear signs of wear throughout this statue. The small feet are broken off at the top, indicating a missing piece. There are pieces of metal attached to both the base and the legs which appear to help support the statue’s weight. There are cracks across the legs and post, as well as small dents and uneven areas throughout. The left arm is broken below the elbow, and the right hand’s fingers are broken off. The very tip of the nose is broken, but the rest of the head remains relatively intact.
Significance:
The subject of this statue is unclear. Many people believe it is depicting Marcia Furnilla, the second wife of Titus because it was possibly found in a Flavian villa near Albano. However, it is more likely that it is a funerary statue of an unknown elite woman from a Trajanic tomb, as it is consistent with the funerary trends of that time. As is the case with this style of funerary statue, this woman's head and body are incongruous, as the body is meant to be a costume of sorts depicting Venus, not the actual woman’s body. Outside of the guise of Venus, it would have been unacceptable to depict a nude woman, as it was seen as overtly sexual. However, the Venus guise drew attention to the woman's role as both a mother and a wife. The eroticism that is evident, therefore, is used to imply the figure’s reproductive capacity. The statue’s broken arm reveals more of the figure’s body than would have been originally visible. The pubic region would have been covered by her left hand, though still visible enough to show that it was hairless. Excessive body hair was seen as a sign of sexual promiscuity. The figure’s stern facial expression combined with the nudity conveys a sense of the woman’s self-control over her body. The body of this particular statue references the Capitoline Venus, a common model for Venus guise statues. The body appears much younger and more idealized than the head, but it certainly depicts a grown woman's figure. It's broad hips and fleshy figure shows a woman at a prime age to have children, emphasizing the subject's role as a mother. The head depicts an older woman, perhaps in her thirties. It is possible that it is depicting the woman as she looked at the time of her death, or perhaps at the age where she most flourished in her role as a mother or even grandmother. The expression is stern and focused, qualities often attributed to men at this time. It is possible that this is because it was commonly believed that more masculine-looking women were more likely to both survive childbirth and have sons. This woman's role as a mother is further shown in the two small feet placed next to her. This would have been a small statue of Eros, the son of Venus. It is possible that it was modeled on one of her children. Her elaborate hairstyle shows that she was not only a mother but an elite woman as well. Only an elite woman would have been able to have enough attendants to create this hairstyle. It also shows that she was aware of the popular styles at the time. Although we do not know who she is, the details of this statue do give some indication of her life as a mother and a wife.
The statue called Marcia Furnilla depicts a Roman matron in the guise of Venus. The figure has an elaborate hairstyle with a halo of curls framing her face. The remaining hair is divided into braids that are then twisted into a large bun at the back of her head. Her eyes are large and have faint wrinkles underneath. Likewise, there are distinct lines from her nostrils down towards her tightly closed lips. Her brow is heavy and her nose is rather long. Her head leans forward, bringing the shoulders slightly forward as well. The body is nude with the figure’s right hand is covering her breasts and her left arm is in front of her hip. The body appears smooth and round. The breasts are full and the public area is unnaturally hairless. The waist is slightly narrower than the rest of the body, but it, too, appears fleshy. The figure’s weight is fully on her left foot in contrapposto position which further emphasizes her curves. Her thighs are full and slightly disproportionately in length. Her right foot is lifted up slightly, resulting in a bend in the right knee. There is a small post behind her left leg. Directly next to the right foot, there are the two smaller feet. There are clear signs of wear throughout this statue. The small feet are broken off at the top, indicating a missing piece. There are pieces of metal attached to both the base and the legs which appear to help support the statue’s weight. There are cracks across the legs and post, as well as small dents and uneven areas throughout. The left arm is broken below the elbow, and the right hand’s fingers are broken off. The very tip of the nose is broken, but the rest of the head remains relatively intact.
Significance:
The subject of this statue is unclear. Many people believe it is depicting Marcia Furnilla, the second wife of Titus because it was possibly found in a Flavian villa near Albano. However, it is more likely that it is a funerary statue of an unknown elite woman from a Trajanic tomb, as it is consistent with the funerary trends of that time. As is the case with this style of funerary statue, this woman's head and body are incongruous, as the body is meant to be a costume of sorts depicting Venus, not the actual woman’s body. Outside of the guise of Venus, it would have been unacceptable to depict a nude woman, as it was seen as overtly sexual. However, the Venus guise drew attention to the woman's role as both a mother and a wife. The eroticism that is evident, therefore, is used to imply the figure’s reproductive capacity. The statue’s broken arm reveals more of the figure’s body than would have been originally visible. The pubic region would have been covered by her left hand, though still visible enough to show that it was hairless. Excessive body hair was seen as a sign of sexual promiscuity. The figure’s stern facial expression combined with the nudity conveys a sense of the woman’s self-control over her body. The body of this particular statue references the Capitoline Venus, a common model for Venus guise statues. The body appears much younger and more idealized than the head, but it certainly depicts a grown woman's figure. It's broad hips and fleshy figure shows a woman at a prime age to have children, emphasizing the subject's role as a mother. The head depicts an older woman, perhaps in her thirties. It is possible that it is depicting the woman as she looked at the time of her death, or perhaps at the age where she most flourished in her role as a mother or even grandmother. The expression is stern and focused, qualities often attributed to men at this time. It is possible that this is because it was commonly believed that more masculine-looking women were more likely to both survive childbirth and have sons. This woman's role as a mother is further shown in the two small feet placed next to her. This would have been a small statue of Eros, the son of Venus. It is possible that it was modeled on one of her children. Her elaborate hairstyle shows that she was not only a mother but an elite woman as well. Only an elite woman would have been able to have enough attendants to create this hairstyle. It also shows that she was aware of the popular styles at the time. Although we do not know who she is, the details of this statue do give some indication of her life as a mother and a wife.
References
Kleiner, Diana E. E. Roman Sculpture. New Haven, CT: Yale U Press, 2006. 177-178. Print.
E. D’Ambra, The Calculus of Venus, in: N. B. Kampen (ed.), Sexuality in Ancient Art: Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Italy (Cambridge 1996) 219–232.
E. D’Ambra, The Calculus of Venus, in: N. B. Kampen (ed.), Sexuality in Ancient Art: Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Italy (Cambridge 1996) 219–232.
Contributor
Becca Peters
Citation
Unknown , “Marcia Furnilla,” Digital Portrait "Basket" - ARTH488A "Ancient Mediterranean Portraiture", accessed April 18, 2024, http://classicalchopped.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/39.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.