Praetorians Relief [SEP] material used
Praetorians Relief
The Praetorians Relief is a Roman marble relief dated to AD and housed in the Louvre-Lens.
It depicts three soldiers in high relief in the foreground, while two others in the background, accompanied by a standard bearer, are made in bas-relief. The standard-bearer holds an aquila standard, where the eagle grasps a thunderbolt in its talons. The soldiers have been identified as Praetorians due to the richness of the apparel, particularly the helmets, the ceremonial dress and oval shields. The
are modern restorations. In 2006 the relief underwent restoration by N. Imbert and A. Méthivier.
Provenance.
The Praetorians Relief was once part of the Arch of Claudius, erected in 51 to commemorate the conquest of Britain. The relief is mentioned as early as the 16th century. The head of the standard-bearer is depicted in "Album" by Pierre Jacques de Reims, on the page dated to 1577. The relief was once in the possession of the Mattei family, in 1824 it was purchased by the French