French School, early 19th century.

French School, early 19th century.
"Julius Caesar" and "Domitian."
Reliefs in white marble, with incised inscriptions.
Frames in wood painted in the trompe-l'œil style, imitating marble.
The frames show minor imperfections consistent with their age.
Measurements: 54 cm in diameter (reliefs); 71 cm in diameter (with frame), each.

This pair of tondos stands out for its rendering in marble of a repertoire rooted in medallic art dedicated to the Roman emperors. Julius Caesar and Domitian are depicted in profile and crowned with laurel wreaths, surrounded by French inscriptions identifying them, respectively, as the first and twelfth emperors, following the sequence of Suetonius’s *Lives of the Twelve Caesars*. The choice of the figures that open and close the cycle suggests that they may have originally been part of a larger decorative ensemble.

The inscription on the Julius Caesar medallion matches that of a single-sided medallion preserved at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, which belongs to a series inspired by Suetonius, while there are known plaques of Domitian with a nearly identical inscription, dated to the first half of the 18th century. The spread of this iconography is also documented in French decorative arts through the medallions of Julius Caesar and Domitian made in Limoges enamel by Jacques Laudin I and Jacques Laudin II, now in the Louvre.

The carving effectively distinguishes the two facial features: Caesar has mature, angular, and distinctly individualized features, while Domitian presents a more idealized and youthful profile. This, combined with the precision of the hair, the laurel wreaths, and the clarity of the inscriptions, accentuates their numismatic character. The contrast between the white marble and the wooden frames painted to imitate a reddish crack further reinforces the sumptuous and decorative nature of the ensemble.

The revival of this imperial repertoire must also be understood within the context of the renewed interest in classical antiquity that accompanied the development of neoclassical taste and the culture of the Grand Tour. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, Rome and other Italian centers became key destinations for travelers, collectors, and artists, fostering the circulation of antiquities, reproductions, and models inspired by the Greco-Roman world. In this context, the image of the emperors gained renewed decorative and scholarly significance.