Medardo RossoItalian, 1859–1928The Emperor Vitellius
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “The Emperor Vitellius” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
The head was acquired from the sculptor when he visited London in 1896; he was then working in Paris - he was a contemporary of Rodin - and his international reputation becoming established. The work is an adaptation of an antique marble portrait that had been much reproduced from the seventeenth century onwards. Rosso's choice of the ugliest of the Roman emperors illustrates his anti-classical approach to earlier sculpture. The generalised features are characteristic of his lucid technique of modelling.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 210-1896
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
