Final answer:
The artist rendered Caesar realistic and relatable by using ordinary human traits, such as wrinkles and sagging flesh, which were typical of the Roman veristic style aimed at conveying a lifelike appearance and character virtues.
Step-by-step explanation:
The artist tried to make Caesar look realistic and relatable by portraying him with ordinary human traits. This is evident in the veristic portrayal of Roman figures during the Late Roman Republic, where seriousness and virtue were conveyed through physical representations of gravitas and virtus. Artists during this period and later in ancient Egyptian art produced strikingly naturalistic works that highlighted conventional mannerisms like corpulence, high cheekbones, and pronounced eye sockets alongside individual features such as wrinkles and furrows that communicate a lifelike countenance.
In Roman society, physical appearance was critically important and was thought of as a reflection of a person's inner qualities. Portraits often depicted subjects with realistic details such as receding hairlines, deep wrinkles, and warts, although it was common for the body to be idealized, not matching the aged features of the face, thus creating a combination of realism and idealism.
The portraits of influential figures like Pompey the Great included veristic elements as well as idealized traits borrowed from Alexander the Great's hairstyle, linking Pompey visually to Alexander and suggesting similar qualities. These details demonstrate how Roman portraiture adapted features from Greek art to enhance realism and convey social and political messages.