, Head of Castor

Head of Castor

RA Collection: Art

This is a cast of the head of Castor from the marble group 'Castor and Pollux', which are in the Piazza del Quirinale, Rome. The height of the full size figures is 560 cm. These statues were in the Baths of Constantine in Rome but the figures and their accompanying horses were recorded as being positioned on the Quirinal Hill in the mid-twelfth century pilgrims’ guide Mirabilia Urbis Romae. In the 1780s the states were repositioned in the Piazza Quirinale either side of an Egyptian obelisk and this group was further transformed in 1818 when an antique granite basin and fountain was added.

These statues are Roman copies of Greek originals from the 5th century BC and known as 'Dioscuri' or 'Horse Tamers' as each are holding a prancing horse.

Object details

Title
Head of Castor
Cast made by
After Unknown
From
Original in Piazza del Quirinale, Rome
Object type
Sculpture Cast
Medium
Plaster cast
Dimensions

1470 mm

Collection
Royal Academy of Arts
Object number
04/254

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