The Emperor Vespasian (ruled AD 69–79) was renowned for his fairness and good governance. After his death he was deified and worshipped as a god. This bust and its partner were acquired for the Prince Regent by his great friend and fellow art enthusiast Lord Yarmouth, later Third Marquess of Hertford, whose collection formed the basis of today’s Wallace Collection.

Purchased for George IV in Paris, 1818