How does Ludovisi Gaul elucidate its Subject?
It was common for victory statues to display the triumphant but instead in this piece we see a sympathetic portrait of the defeated. This man is believed to represent a chieftain who is killing himself and his wife so that they would not be captured and taken as prisoners. It was also typical that the Gauls would bring their wives to battle with them. He is identifiable as a Gaul because of his thick wavy hair, and facial mustache.
Gaul Gauls