Art of Republican and Imperial Rome Honors Humanities

Art of Republican and Imperial Rome

Honors Humanities

OverviewRoman art is closely influenced by Greek art and both sculpted mostly in marble. Romans, however, did develop their own style and thematic emphasis. Greek artists are famous for their idealistic portrayals of the youthful person. Ancient Greek themes dealt much with gods and heroes.  

The Romans are known for their realism.  Most sculptures are of the rich, famous and powerful people of Rome, and Roman portraits show every blemish and wart.  Roman artists desired to recreate what the person looked like in real life, instead of relying on an idealized vision. Also to a degree, Roman themes are more varied.

Changing tastes in sculptureEarly Roman StyleEmphasized gravitas(seriousness) and dignitas (dignity)Influenced by the imagines (death masks of higher magistrates)e.g., Head of Brutus

Late Republican StyleBroke with dignified idealism of the Roman Early PhaseVerism, “taste for realism”Almost brutal realism - flaws, blemishes, scars, and baldness!Sense of unease typifies theunsettled times of the Late RepublicIncreasing eastern (i.e., Hellenistic) influences

Togate Roman v. Hellenistic Nude

Right: Roman generaldepicted as a Hellenisticking, c. 150 BCE

Left: Honorific statue of a municipal aristocrat, c. 80 BCE

Realistic & individualized portraiture

Left to right: Now-anonymous man from Sardinia; M. Licinius Crassus; G. Iulius Caesar

Grand Pretensions: Pompey’s Imitation of Alexander the Great

Sarcophagus with battle scene between Romans and Germans. Marble, 180–190 CE.

Marcus Tullius Cicero 106-43 BCE

Roman Patrician Holding Busts of Ancestors c.10 BCE

Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE)

Marcus Aurelius – Gilded Bronze Equestrian Statue, Capitoline Hill, c.161-180 CE

Column of Marcus Aurelius

Trajan’s Column - Rome

Roman Wall Painting

First Style Roman wall painting:"Incrustation" (above), is thought to imitate Greek painting, creating flat areas of color and 'faux" finishes (like a fake marble or oak finish).

Second Style Roman wall painting: the "architectural style“ (below) space extends beyond the room with various perspective ("illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat two-imensional surface) devices.  Roman artists came close to developing a true linear perspective.

Roman Wall Painting

Second Pompeian Style frescoes (left to right): House of Griffins, Rome 100-500 BCE; Villa of Opolontis, 1st cent BCE; architectural fantasy, Villa at Boscoreale, near Pompeii, mid 1st cent. BCE

Roman Wall Painting

In the Third Style Roman Wall Painting, called the "Ornate Style," pictorial illusion is confined to "framed" images, where even the "framing" is painted on.  The overall appearance is flat rather than a 3-d illusion of space.

Third Style from the Villa at Boscotrecase, near Pompeii. 1st Century.

Roman Wall Painting

The Fourth Style is also characterized by the open vistas and the use of aerial perspective, as well as the elaborate architectural framing.

Ixion Room from the House of the Vetii, Pompeii, 1st Century.