False vs. Fierce

Both the bust of Commodus as Hercules and the bust of Caracalla tell us a great deal about the character of the muse/subject portrayed. Both Commodus and Caracalla where emperors of Rome, although from the contrast of their depictions I can assume that they lived and ruled by very different means. Commodus appears at ease, arrogant, and privileged; Caracalla appears tense, powerful, and militaristic. These sculptures and the propagandist message they convey are easily read. They have a clear message even when isolating their facial expression; Commodus has a smug smile and relaxed brow, while Caracalla’s face is so tense it seems that every facial muscle must be flexed, even the eyes are shadowed and threatening.
In my opinion, Commodus’s bust is overly extravagant, and it makes the leader seem so incredible that he looses credibility. It is too much, and he seems to be compensating for something. According to our text he is posing as Hercules and at times claimed to be his reincarnation along with the incarnation of the god Juniper. Supposedly, Commodus not a great leader in any aspect and was very self indulgent, a trait that caries over to the design of his bust. He was obviously trying to convey his own greatness in every aspect that may have been desirable to Romans at the time. He is portrayed as a very strong, handsome figure, with defined muscles and detailed hair(the tidiness of his locks signify to me a life of ease, and pampering).There is a small figure of a man kneeling in front of him which makes him seem more powerful, like a beloved ruler. He is dressed as Hercules to convey strength in character and physicality, which seem unnatural and contradictory to his smug, leisurely facial expression. He seems at ease as if the life was easy and he had nothing to do; his eyes are only half open making this easy,even more pronounced. His is also holding apples from the Garden of Hesperides signifying immortality, again I feel he wanted to be perceived as the ultimate Roman ruler by embodying all the desirable qualities of the time.
While Commodus comes to us lavishly dressed to impress, Caracalla impresses us with nothing more than the intensity of his facial expression. The message is clear, as my three year old daughter put it “that is an angry man”. The bust of Caracalla does not use any props or suggestive figures to enhance the message of power, or prestige. In fact, he appears to me as a soldier due to his short hair and scruffy moustache. He also has a five o’clock shadow of sorts which makes him seem common, unlike the manicured curls of Commodus’s beard and hair. What really speaks to me about this sculpture, and I think it speaks to everyone this way, is tension in the face and the dark stare of the emperor. The shadow that falls from his intensely furrowed brow is imposing, makes his appear fierce, determined and even without a muscular body causes the viewer to assume that this is a man of great strength, leadership and superiority. Every muscle in the face seems tight,even the chin seems drawn in towards his tightly closed mouth, this aspect of the bust is very different from the smooth contours, and ease that we saw on Commodus.
I believe that both sculptures have a propagadistic message that can be widely understood. I also believe that while Commodus’s bust was attempting to convey a leader of strength, beauty, and immortality, it’s extravagance made these character traits seem as mythical as the apples of immortality that he held in his left hand. However, through the simplicity and bluntness of his bust Caracalla conveyed a very believable message that he was a fierce, powerful, and determined leader.