But think about it. You're an emperror or some other high ranking official and you hire a sculptorbor a painter. Would you have him depict you as you are or would you have him sculpt an idealized version. Remember that until only recently people would know how their leader actually looks. There was no tv or photos, so the only way people could know how you looked was through paintings and sculpture. So even if not for an inflated ego you would depict yourself better than you are so that ordinary people would respect your power, as they would see you as better and greater then themselves.
Presidential portraits seem fairly true-to-life. Idk, if you're that much of a narcissist don't you already love yourself? So much so that you'd want the artist to display you - not some artist's depiction of you?
yea maybe with height or weight but identity?
That was a common practice in other dynasties, but in roman culture it certainly appears that they placed a high value on accuracy and despised vanity. By the time they began dropping those values later in the empire, art was more symbolic anyhow so it didn't really matter how people were depicted.
If your ego was so great, such as that of an emperor, you may be completely unashamed and actually think your body was peak humanity.
i would ask for him to make me look as mean as possible. "more forehead veins please mario"
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