Verism

Verism is the artistic preference of contemporary everyday subject matter instead of the heroic or legendary in art and literature; it is a form of realism. The word comes from Latin verus (true).

Roman Art

Verism first appeared as the artistic preference of the Roman people during the late Roman Republic (147-30 BC) and was often used for Republic portraits or the head of “pseudo-athlete” sculptures. Verism, often described as "warts and all", shows the imperfections of the subject, such as warts, wrinkles and furrows. It should be absolutely noted that the term veristic in no way implies that these portraits are more "real". Rather, they too can be highly exaggerated or idealised, but within a different visual idiom, one which favours wrinkles, furrows, signs of age as indicaters of gravity and authority. Age during the Late Republic was very highly valued and was synonymous with power as one of the only ways to hold power in Roman society was to be part of the Senate. Yet to be on the Senate a Roman patrician had to be at least forty-two years of age, which in relation to ancient times was considered mature stage of life..