The Severan Tondo or Berlin Tondo from is one of the few preserved examples of panel painting from Classical Antiquity, depicting the first two generations of the imperial Severan dynasty, whose members ruled the Roman Empire in the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries. It depicts the Roman emperor Septimius Severus () with his wife, the augusta Julia Domna, and their two sons and co-augusti Caracalla () and Geta (). The face of one of the two brothers has been deliberately erased, very likely as part of damnatio memoriae.
On the viewer's right is Septimius Severus, and to the left Julia Domna. In front of them are the boys Caracalla and Geta. All wear jeweled gold wreaths and imperial insignia, some details of which have been lost. The dating of the piece has caused some debate among scholars, with the final consensus being . The tondo has many stylistic connections to Fayum Mummy portraiture including materials and artistic elements, and its production has been located in the Fayum district of Egypt during this period. Later on the tondo re-emerged from the antiquities trade; the provenance is unknown before entering the Antikensammlung Berlin (inventory number 31329) in the 20th century. It is now in the Altes Museum.
Description
The work is a tempera, or egg-based painting, on a circular wooden panel, or tondo, with a diameter of . It depicts the Imperial family wearing sumptuous ceremonial garments. Septimius Severus and his sons are also holding sceptres and wearing gold wreaths decorated with precious stones. Julia Domna has her distinctive hairstyle, crimped into parallel locks, possibly a style from her home in Syria, and perhaps a wig. Although it is commonly assumed that Julia Domna introduced the custom of wearing wigs into Roman society, evidence points to a predecessor introducing use of wigs in portraiture. Although the portrait depicts Julia as being notably paler than Severus, the subjects' true complexions are probably not accurately represented, as artistic conventions of the era often depicted women with fairer skin and men with darker skin.
One son's face has been obliterated in a deliberate act of iconoclasm, and the vacant space smeared with excrement. Most scholars believe it is Geta whose face has been removed, probably after his murder by Caracalla's Praetorian Guard and the ensuing damnatio memoriae. However, it is also possible that Geta (as the younger son) is the smaller boy, and it is Caracalla's face which was eradicated, perhaps as a compensatory retaliation for Caracalla's mass execution of young Alexandrian men in the year 215.
The tondo was probably created in a square or rectangular shape, and later cut into a circle. The loss of some of the original painting is most apparent with the sceptres that the males are holding: the upper parts, once adorned with imperial symbols, are now missing. It seems likely that the panel was cut down in modern times to improve its saleability on the art market.
Historical context
The Severan Dynasty lasted from 193 to 235 AD. Septimius Severus, the founder of the dynasty, was born in Lepcis Magna, Tripolitania (present-day Libya) in 145 AD. Severus gained power and status in 190 AD, as he rose within Senate ranks under Marcus Aurelius. As Severus gained power, he secured numerous governorships. He held those of Gallia Lugdunensis, Upper Pannonia, and Sicily. After the murder of the emperor Commodus in 192, and the short lived succession by Pertinax, Severus seized power with the assistance of his troops in 193. The following four years Severus spent fending off opposition from his rivals. Finally, in 197, the empire was secured in his sole authority. After the empire was secured, Severus led many successful military campaigns, the most famous of them being against the Parthians.
After Severus's death in February of 211, the empire was supposed to be jointly ruled by his sons, Caracalla and Geta. In December that year, Caracalla had Geta murdered and was the sole ruler until he was also murdered in 217. The dynasty would continue to have a tumultuous line of succession until its end in 235.
Damnatio Memoriae
After his murder, Geta was subjected to damnatio memoriae. In this official action, the Senate declared against his memory. This led to great removal, defacement, and erasure of Geta throughout the entire Roman empire. The Severan Tondo serves as one of the best examples of the official damnatio memoriae subjected to Geta's figure.