Bronze portrait bust of the emperor Gaius (Caligula)
A green-patinated bronze bust of a young man with short, combed locks, a firm mouth and inlaid eyes of glass or stone that catch the light. The bust ends in a rough, broken base at the shoulders, showing the age of the metal. The record names it as a portrait of the emperor Gaius (Caligula), and the features are consistent with Julio-Claudian portraiture.
Look closer: The inlaid eyes are glassy with a bright highlight, the most striking detail of the face.
- Artist
- Unknown
- Date
- ca. 37–41 CE
- Medium
- Bronze
- Source
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Size
- 2911 × 3880 px
Public domain · The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image under CC0 (latest date 50).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (The Met Open Access, isPublicDomain=true)
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (The Met Open Access, isPublicDomain=true)
Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1923