The thing that strikes me most about many early Roman statues has nothing to do with their artistry or balance. It isn’t the grandeur. It’s not the symbols of power they display or the way subjects are posed. It’s how damn unflattering they are. These were rich and powerful men -- the highest echelon of Roman society -- and yet they are memorialized with sagging skin, hook noses, uneven features, tired expressions, and wrinkles from age, worry, and conflict.