Augustus FAMOUS FACES

The Man Who Makes Emperors

Interview with Salva Ruano By Joanna Gillan

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ancientoriginsmagazine.com hen we think of the emperors of Rome, we tend to remember their idealized images representedW in marble busts on display in museums throughout the world. But one Spanish artist, Salva Ruano, a master of hyper-realistic sculpture, brings some of the most famous rulers– Julius Caesar, Nero, Augustus, and Caligula – to life, as if they were among us. Ruano, and his Césares de Roma project, aims to bring the past to life with visceral realism, creating life-like versions of classical Roman sculptures and offering a vision of an era that until now we could only imagine. What inspired you to choose Roman rulers and emperors as the subject matter of your art? I’ve always been fascinated by ancient Rome. To understand much of the functioning of the classical Roman world, for me, Roman Emperors have always been key figures as a simple and interesting starting point. As a child, I was passionate about painting and sculpture, as well as classical roman history, which awak- ened in me a great curiosity about ancient Rome. After some time, I began to read classical literature and I constantly imagined what the appearance of those Roman rulers and emperors might be. Artist Salva Ruano © Salva Ruano A few years ago, I discovered However, their descriptions his physical appearance, the art of hyper-realistic sometimes go beyond the something that Roman sculptures and instantly ridiculous with the intention statesman Cicero hinted decided to make my of slandering the emperor, rhetorically at the senators: childhood fantasy come Some historical accounts are - “What did you expect of true. I am self-taught and not only limited to simple that young man who combs have learned the process descriptions. At the end of his hair with the tips of his little-by-little and although the Gaul war, and during the fingers?”. I continue to improve my celebration of techniques, and despite the Triumph The denarii being still far from my goal, in honor of it, [silver coin] I have been able to combine the soldiers of “What did you of the Roman my two greatest passions: Julius Caesar dictator show art and classical Roman sang the chant expect of that the image history. of: “Citizens, young man who of Caesar keep an eye with little What historical resources on your wives, combs his hair hair, combed do you use to piece together we’re bringing forward, and what these rulers really with the tips of his back the bald an aged face looked like? adulterer. He’s fingers?” in addition to a neck full Suetonius, Plutarch, Cicero, stashed away of folds and Joannis Malalas, Philo, the gold in a detached Seneca, Pliny, and all the Gaul that you Platysma muscle. This helps ancient authors who wrote loaned him here in Rome.” to form a clearer idea of or made any mention of the Caesar, in the mouth of his face, far from the ideal- emperors’ image to other Roman historian Suetonius, ization of his images in the rulers, including hair, eyes, was thorough in caring for imperial period. and skin. Denarius, 44 | Classical BC Numismatic Inc, cngcoins.com Group, © Salva Ruano The denarii [silver coin] of the Roman dictator show the image of Caesar with little hair, combed forward, and an aged face in addition to a neck full of folds and a detached Platysma muscle

Julius Caesar © Salva Ruano Caligula © Salva Ruano Caligula is one of the most troubled emperors that, despite giving an improbable divine when it comes to recreating because there is origin, we cannot leave aside. It recalls his nothing written about the color of his hair or ancestors and affirms that all men from the his eyes. Suetonius mentions only that he bore paternal side of the family, with the cognomen a golden beard. However, he gave this fact [an extra name given to an ancient Roman when speaking about his disguises, like that citizen] “Ahenobarbus” (Copper beard), carried of the god Jupiter, but that beard could have a beard with a copper-like color and had red been simply artificial. We can only conjecture, hair. This description, together with the large so I opted for the most prudent option. number of freckles that the emperor had, allows me to recreate another possible image As for Nero, Suetonius mentions the blonde of his appearance. color of Nero’s hair, but he also narrates an interesting story about the lineage of Nero Nero

What process do you follow What are the challenges of do what I love. But everyone to create the sculptures? producing hyper-realistic perceives my idea, which sculptures? is to see the emperors and Once the original sculpture leaders of classical Rome from a museum has been I value manual work a lot, from a more real and human chosen, I proceed to obtain making art with materials point of view, away from the an exact 3D printed copy, that we can touch, model, lifeless marble statues. after previously scanning the paint and physically see. piece. In plasticine, with the Recreations can be done Who was your favorite ruler bust of the emperor, a copy in digital format and in to create? is made and is then molded, some cases they can be as adding expression, wrinkles, impressive as the architec- I think Caligula is the char- moles and skin pores. The tural recreations of palaces acter that has surprised me eyes are adjusted, and the and monuments of ancient the most so far. The classical head is prepared, while Rome. However, I also like to sources not only attack and maintaining homogeneous materialize the idea, like the defame their political acts or proportions. neo-classicist painters of the personal actions, they also late 18th century, Lawrence disfigure their face to impose Having finished with the Alma-Tadema or Henryk greater repulsion. However, plasticine process, a mold is Siemiradzki – with paint on this reconstruction shows, made of the piece to then canvas they made impressive in my opinion, the reality: an obtain the bust in a special inexperienced young man in Roman politics, charged with It is comforting to contribute a absolute power, fearful and distrustful. How would we humanized face to the stories react if we knew that part of these important characters of the Senate, Praetorians, and our own blood sisters that until now we could only and relatives are willing contemplate in marble statues to kill us to gain supreme power? That is the image I masterpieces, bringing have of Caligula, a powerful, silicone that imitates the everything alive that could deranged man. human skin. Some color be seen at that time in the touches with paint on the sil- What inspires you most ancient Roman world. icone allows the imitation of about your work? the skin as much as possible. What is the reaction from It is comforting to contribute people who come face- The next step is ‘hair punch- a humanized face to the to-face with one of your ing’ using human hair or stories of these important recreated Roman rulers? even goat hair. The process characters that until now we finishes up by cutting, comb- People react differently. We could only contemplate in ing and imitating as much as all have preconceived ideas marble statues. Something possible the characteristic and each one interprets that really fascinates me is hairstyle of each emperor. them in a personal way. the idea of recreating, in Lastly, the eyes. These are There are many people who today’s world, scenes that made by hand from plasti- love my job. There are other have been lost in history, cine models ending with the people who hate what I do. with people who have been final polish in acrylic materi- I don’t get carried away by dead for over two thousand als to look real and wet. the opinions of others, I only years. ■

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