A study about French baroque statue

Style and considerations

This loricate statue of Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus Caligula reveals a mixture of Classical and Hellenistic traits, expertly mixed.

The reference values followed for this artwork are those of the classical Greece with a reference to Kalokagathia. The shape and proportions of the body remind to the policletea Doryphorus. To this classical approach, is added a formal language of Hellenistic tradition. The face expressions and the anatomic shape of the armor contrast with the Classical style, where a ritual nudity prevails.

The bust of Caligula should have been made by the sculptor Nicolas Coustou commissioned by the King of France in 1696 a.D. for gardens of Versailles.