Centurion, 2023

This study of Julius Caesar was based on a photograph I took while visiting Paris in 2022. The statue was created by Nicolas Coustou in 1696 and was originally commissioned for the gardens of Palace of Versailles. It is now located in the Louvre’s Courtyard of Puget at the Louvre Museum.

This painting is part of a series I created in 2023 in which I referenced classical Greek and Roman sculpture to practice figure drawing. During this period, I also experimented with incorporating patterned backgrounds and subdued color palettes. This piece is my favorite from the series.

The composition presents itself in a formal manner. The subject, dressed in traditional aristocratic attire, carries an unmistakable air of nobility. Caesar is portrayed with the sense of idealized perfection often associated with Roman-era art. The background, composed of simple shapes and a restrained palette, does not distract from the figure in the foreground.

The pose Coustou employed accentuates the power and confidence of a man who ruled much of the known world in 60 BCE. I developed a warm yet muted color scheme to reinforce the painting’s sense of quiet authority and timelessness.