Vatican Museums and Antiquity

The Vatican Museums are one of the main sources for ancient sculpture and imperial imagery. The Pio-Clementino Museum, Chiaramonti Museum and Braccio Nuovo are especially important: many statues and portraits used as visual parallels are kept there.

Statue of Augustus from Prima Porta. Marble. Rome,Vatican Museums,Chiaramonti Museum,New Wing,14. The last quarter of the 1st century BC (20-17 BC)

Statue of Emperor Augustus. Marble. Rome,Vatican Museum (the Greek Cross Room). Around 20 BC.

Emperor Claudius as Jupiter. Rome. Vatican City Museum. 1st century AD

Collection and Significance

The official Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities is responsible for the study and care of mostly sculptural collections, as well as several archaeological areas in the Vatican and related territories. This makes the museum important not only for images but for archaeological context.

Main Materials

Augustus of Prima Porta and imperial iconography;
Greek and Roman statues in the Pio-Clementino Museum;
portraits in Chiaramonti and Braccio Nuovo;
reliefs, armour and cult images;
archaeological areas connected with the Vatican.

Context and Limits

Vatican statues should not be used as direct patterns without checking: they are idealized images. But for silhouette, gesture, drapery, cuirass, footwear and colour reconstruction they provide one of the best sets of starting points.