The Emperor Augustus
Ca. 1565. Marble.Galería Jónica Planta Baja Norte
This impressive portrait of Augustus (27 BC to 14 AD) is by the Bonanome brothers, who were commissioned by Philip II in 1562 and 1565 to execute two series of busts of the first twelve Roman emperors, based on their biographies by Suetonius (c. 97-126 AD). This bust is from the small-format series, of which three survive. Philip II was dissatisfied with them and had them sent to the gardens of the Casa de Campo in 1571.