#PortraitThursday - The bronze head of Hadrian, discovered in the River Thames, is one of the most striking surviving Roman sculptures in Britain. Discovered in 1834 near London Bridge, this head is believed to have originally belonged to an over-life-size statue of the emperor that stood in Roman Londinium (modern London). The style suggests it was made locally. The head is cast in bronze, a material far more valuable and less commonly preserved than marble because it was often melted down and reused. Its survival is therefore unusual. Only three bronze portraits of Hadrian have survived from antiquity, and the head found in the Thames is the only one discovered in Britain.

Happy 1950th birthday, Hadrian! 🎂 One thousand nine hundred years ago, Hadrian likely celebrated his 50th birthday (dies natalis) at his villa in Tivoli, located 30 km east of Rome. Having returned to Italy in May 125 after extensive travel (Germany, Britain, Gaul, the East), Hadrian took up residence there and remained until he set out on his second journey in 128. Some parts of the villa were still under construction in 126, but several key complexes were already finished or fully usable. The emperor would almost certainly have celebrated his birthday in the new monumental core of the villa, spaces belonging to the first construction phase. By then, the villa already had several ceremonial spaces, completed or nearing completion, designed for reception, display, and imperial self-presentation. The so-called Piazza d’Oro, one of the most luxurious and monumental complexes at the villa, would have been the perfect venue for such a celebration, as it served as a banqueting area with a series of rooms and a peristyle garden adorned with fountains and estuaries, where banquets and receptions for hundreds of guests could be held. In Rome, he may have put on a gladiatorial show as he did in 119 for his 43rd birthday. The celebrations lasted six consecutive days. Dio Cassius and the Historia Augusta reported that many wild animals were slaughtered, including 100 lions and 100 lionesses. However, no such event is reported for his 50th birthday. #Hadrian1900 #Hadrian1950 📷 Four portraits of Hadrian from Hadrian's Villa and Rome.