Roman Art753 B.C.E.-315 C.E.

Unit Theme: M.E.R.I.T.

The Roman Empire

• Rome began its rise to power in the Mediterranean.

• Its massive empire extended through Europe, Africa, and Ancient Near East

• They ruled over numerous cultures such as the Britains, Gauls, Greeks, Egyptians, Africans, Syrians, Jews and Christians.

The Roman Empire • Empire lasted 500 years

• Romulus and Remus (twin sons of Mars) were the mythological founders of Rome.

• It eventually collapsed due to financial stress and barbarian invasions

Roman Empire

Politics and Classes

• Originally had Kings

• Established democracy with elected male officials known as a Senate

• Population divided into 2 classes-– Patricians-wealthy, upper class– Plebians-lower class

Roman Empire In a Nutshell

• Philosophy-Efficiency, organization, practicality

• Art forms-Mosaics, realistic wall paintings, idealized civic sculpture

• Most famous building-Pantheon• Signature city-Rome• Role model-Greece• World contributions-law, engineering,

city planning, cement

Romans & Greeks• Rome took over Greece in 146 BCE

• Conquered then imitated them!

• Valued Greek cultural riches

• Imported boatloads of Greek sculpture, pottery, and jewelry.

• Set up workshops to reproduce Greek art and make copies of Greek sculpture.

Art and Architecture

• Art was prized but artists were low members of society

• Used to help “unify” empire– Some used for propaganda– Unified visual style throughout

Architectural contributions• Cement meant rounded arches and domes

were created

• Shaped and opened up interior space for the first time

• Inventions-– Round Arch– Barrel Vault– Groin Vault – Domes

Barrel Vault

Groin Vault

Dome

Round Arch

Pier-A vertical support that

holds up an arch or vault

Pilaster-A rectangular vertical element of masonry in the shape of a flattened column with both a capital and a base

Spandrel-A triangular space enclosed by the curves of arches

Art of The Republic

Temple of Fortuna Virilis, Late 2nd c. BCE

• Early Roman temple

• Combines Etruscan and Greek elements-

• High podium

• Accessible only by the front- single entrance with a wide flight of steps

• Freestanding Ionic columns support an Ionic frieze and a pediment.

• Romans added – engaged Ionic half columns on the sides and back of the cella which is called “pseudo-peripteral”.These engaged columns do not actually provide support, they are placed there for aesthetic purposes.

•  • A temple which has freestanding columns

all the way around the temple is called –“Peripteral” (like the Parthenon)

Imagines• Romans had great

interest in faces• When ancestors in

aristocratic families died, a wax portrait called an IMAGINE was created.

• Represented status• Very proud of

lineage

Head of a Roman Patrician, 75 BC

• Life-size marble portrait bust

• Extremely realistic face, called a veristic portrait

• Realism shows influence of Greek Hellenistic art

• Full of experience and wisdom- traits Roman patricians would have desired

Art of Pompeii and cities of Vesuvius

The most important city in discovering Roman culture is

Pompeii-sealed off for centuries in volcanic ash

Atrium of the House of Vettii,2nd c. BCE-1st c. CE

• Roman house, seen outside Rome more

• Focused inward to keep out noise and dust

• Focus on privacy

• Sign of wealth and status

3a. Compluvium

• Atrium- large open area in the center of the house, reception area. Paintings decorated the walls.

• Compluvium- rectangular opening in the roof that allowed in air, light and rainwater.

• Impluvium-rectangular basin in the floor under the compluvium that held rainwater

• Triclinium- dining room

• Cubicula- series of small bedrooms off of the atrium.

• Peristyle- row of columns that surrounded an outdoor eating area

Wall Painting• True fresco • Four styles

– 1st style: illusion of marble with real architectural details

– 2nd style: figures on shallow “stage” or landscape/cityscape close-up. Painted arch. details

– 3rd style: solid color with slender, whimsical details

– 4th style:combination

Second Style Wall Painting, 50-40 BCE

• Inside a cubiculum (bedroom)

• Use of Linear Perspective- objects appear smaller in space by using receding lines that converge at a single point. – Refined mathematically in Renaissance

Still Life with Peaches

• another example of perspective

• The peaches are placed on receding shelves to create the illusion of depth

• Artist uses touches of white paint to capture the effect of light on the surface of the jar.

Art of the Early Empire

Augustus of Primaporta, 20 CE

• Emperor known for 40 yr. “Pax Romana”

• Idealized view of the Roman emperor– Propaganda

• Contrapposto, likeness to Polykleitos’ Doryphorous

• Confusion between God and man intentional

• Breastplate indicates he is a warrior, judges robes show him as a civic ruler

• Roman oratorical gesture

• Base: Cupid on back of a dolphin- a reference of Augustus’ divine descent from Venus

Ara Pacis Augustae, 13-9 BCE

Altar of Augustan peace• Made to celebrate Pax Romana

under Augustus

• Lower half-vine scroll traceries meant to symbolize peace

• Upper half- Procession of the Imperial Family

Procession of the Imperial Family, from the Ara Pacis, 13-9 BCE

• Upper half of the altar contains low-relief sculptures inspired by the Panathenaic Procession.

• One side shows Augustus leading the procession of priests, magistrates, and members of the imperial family, including children that took place at the founding of the altar.

• Augustus sought to present his new order as a golden age like that of Athens under Pericles.

Maison Carree, 20 BCE

• Corinthian psuedoperipteral temple

• set on a high podium

• front entrance emphasized

• used as a model for Jefferson’s State Capitol in Richmond, VA

Pont du Gard, 16 BCE

• Served as a bridge and an aqueduct in Southern France.

• One of 11 aqueducts that brought Rome 350 million gallons of water a day-used gravity

• It was composed of a triple storied aqueduct built of limestone that ran for about 30 miles.

• Mostly built below ground

• Voussoirs-wedge shaped sections that make up the arches weighed up to 6 tons each.

• Arcades-a row of repeating arches.

• The water channel runs along the top and is covered by stone slabs

Early EmpireThe Flavians

(family name of a ruling family, included 3 emperors-

ruled 25 yrs)

Colosseum, 70-80 CE

• Flavian amphitheatre “double theatre”

• Grandest Roman structure—glorified Rome

• Demonstrates both the brilliance and the brutality of ancient Rome.

• 3 Emperors involved in construction– Built by war prisoners

• Designed mostly for staging battles between animals and gladiators for up to 50,000 spectators

• thousands could die every day

• Seats were set by social standing– Wealthy families had marble seats closest

to action with wire screens– Poorer families had wooded seats further

away

• Heavy wooden floors covered layers of cells below in which gladiators and animals were held.

• An amazing system of winches and lifting tackle brought the beasts from their dens to the arena.

• The floor (which was about 100 meters long) could be flooded and used as a shallow lake for mock naval battles.

• Primarily built of Concrete– covered by marble

• Interplay of barrel vaults, groin vaults and arches

• Exterior façade has pseudoperipteral columns: first story Doric, 2nd-Ionic, 3rd floor flattened Corinthian; each thought of as visually lighter than the order below.

Young Flavian Woman, 90 BCE

• All people deemed worthy of depiction-not just elders/mythological subjects

• Idealized beauty through contemporary fashion—not through imitation of goddesses

• Marble, graceful long neck

• Hair creates a dramatic interplay of light and dark; created with a drill instead of a chisel

Roman arches• Originally had religious significance

– FYI: At the end of a military campaign, soldiers were encouraged to pass under an arched “magic door” to siphon off their aggression, taming them for civilian life.

• Later, freestanding triumphal arches were a monumental gateway through which emperors paraded during victory marches. – Also celebrated other kinds of special events

Arch of Titus, 81 CE

• The Emperor Domitian erected an arch to commemorate his older brother Titus’ victory over Jerusalem

• One passageway• Psuedoperipteral with COMPOSITE

columns (Ionic/Corinthian)• Spandrels-area between curve of

arch and entablature/columns. – Held winged victory reliefs, like Greek

art

• Famous for reliefs inside passageway

Spoils from the Temple of Jerusalem (relief from the Arch of Titus)

• Under Titus, the Roman army captured Jerusalem

• Shows the spoils (treasures) from the Temple of Solomon carried in the triumphal procession after the Romans destroyed it

• Taking the Menorah , clearly seen as part of the spoils. – Depicting the most humiliating thing they could take-

representation of Jewish faith

• Higher relief in front and lower relief behind to show space

• Reliefs are very individualized and creative.

• Roman quality of crowding space.

High EmpireThe height of power and

expanse in the Roman Empire

Emperor Trajan• Trajan was a Spanish-born general who

controlled Roman troops in Germany

• Appointed Emperor in a new tradition where a successor was named (or adopted) by his predecessor

• So popular he was called, “Optimus” (the best)

Trajan’s Forum and Markets

Forum• A roman city center; site of temples and

administrative buildings. Also used as a market and gathering place for citizens.

• Included a basilica-large rectangular building used for a variety of government purposes

• Connecting market was equivalent to modern day shopping center

Column of Trajan,dedicated 112 C.E.

•Column inside Trajan’s Forum

•Colossal 128’ free standing column with a narrative continuous 625’ spiral frieze based on historical event

– Tells the story of Trajan defeating the Dacians

– Shows how Trajan and the Romans won due to superior efficiency and organization

– Made Trajan out to be strong, stable, efficient

• 150 episodes hold more than 2500 figures

• Band gets wider as it moves to the top for legibility

• Trajan’s ashes placed inside the column

• Statue at top was nude statue of Trajan, replaced by St. Peter in 1600’s

Pantheon, 125 C.E.

http://archsoc.westphal.drexel.edu/New/Pantheon10.jpg

• Temple built to honor all gods. Pan means “all” and theos means“gods”.

• One of the most influential designs in architectural history.

• Frieze Inscription: “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, having been consul three times, built it”

• Its pediment, portico (column lined porch) and Corinthian columns are Greek, but the huge dome is Roman.

• Reveals the full potential of concrete, both as a building material and as a means of shaping architectural space

• Façade has 2 pediments, one deeply recessed behind the other.

• Created out of a giant drum topped by a dome

• Height of building equals its width (144’); building is based on a circle, a hemisphere

• Varied weight and thickness of walls – Dome wall thickness 20’, up at oculus 5’– Heavier cement recipe at bottom,

lighter mix at top

• Interior of drum decorated with statues of gods and goddesses, columns, and decorations

Pantheon

• Oculus 30’ diameter round opening allows for sunlight and air; acts as a moving spotlight across the interior

• Oculus symbolized Jupiter’s all seeing eye

• Coffering-in architecture, a sunken panel in a ceiling, which helped lighten the load of the dome.

• Rectangular coffering used, originally painted blue with gold rosette in middle to represent sky—dome of heaven

• Rainfall carried away by elaborate drainage system

Hadrian’s villa, 125-128 CE

• Huge complex for delight of Emperor Hadrian

• Highest quality workmanship in mosaics, murals, architectural decoration

• We see here a Canopus: colonnade with a cornice connecting the tops of the columns-alternating rounded and flattened lines.

• Sculptures put inside rounded arches• Frames a reflecting pool

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, 175 C.E.

• The Statue expresses the emperor’s majesty and authority

• Shown on parade, passing before his people

• Horse is spirited, hard to control, but Marcus has mastery over man and beast

• Characteristic Roman oratorical gesture

• Rider is larger than the horse

• FYI: almost all bronze statues were later melted down for the metal value, this one survived

Art of Late Empire

Characteristics reflect the chaos and dissolution of the

Roman state. Compositions evolve into

those marked by figures that lack individuality and are crowded tightly together.

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus, 250-260 C.E.

• Burial began taking the place of cremation--sarcophagi were becoming more popular

• Extremely crowded surface with very emotional figures piled on top of one another

• No sense of space

• Chaotic scene of battle

http://faculty.cua.edu/pennington/churchhistory220/_vti_bin/shtml.exe/LectureOne/RomansBarbarians/RomanLegionnaire.htm/map

http://faculty.cua.edu/Pennington/ChurchHistory220/lectureone/RomansBarbarians/LudovisiSarcophagus.htm

The Tetrarchs, 300 BCE

• Emperor Diocletian appointed 4 rulers known as The Tetrarchs (“The Four”)

• Artist represents 4 equal partners in power– Cling to each other for strength and security– Represent unity of the four corners of Rome

• Lack of individuality-didn’t want to represent the individual Tetrarchs, wanted to represent the concept of the Tetrarchs

• Made of porphyry-hard purple stone

Aula Palatina,(now known as The Basilica), Early 4th century. Trier,

Germany

97

• Built by a Tetrarch-exemplifies their style-Simple, blocky, imposing, no-

nonsense

• Brick walls originally stuccoed on outside and veneered in marble on inside

• Centrally heated with hot air flowing under floor

• Optical illusion inside with windows getting smaller-distance-tetrarch larger than life

Constantine the Great• Became emperor by winning Battle of

Milvian Bridge over Maxentius

• 1st Emperor to recognize Christianity

• Issued Edict of Milan, ending religious persecution and promoting religious tolerance

• His rule was the beginning of the end for the Roman Empire

• In 330 CE Constantine founded a “new Rome” on the site of Byzantium.

• Renamed the city, Constantinople.. meant the city of Constantine.

• Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

The Arch of Constantine, 312-315 C.E.

•Triple triumphal arch

• Built to commemorate Constantine’s victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312

Placed at this location so that the central arch would, at a distance, frame a 100 foot-tall statue of the

sun god, Sol.

Epitome of reuse/appropriation-Older sculptures and decorative

elements used to decorate the arch, heads were chopped off and Constantin

e’s head was added

Head of Constantine

• 8’6” head, whole statue over 30’ seated. Body has been lost

• part of an enormous figure that sat as the focal point inside the Basilica Nova in Rome

• Idealized portrait; timelessness. Similar to Egyptian pharoah sculptures

What happened next?

Beginning of Early Christian art

Often true in history of art: A period of upheaval was

accompanied by the emergence of a new aesthetic.

• Empire came to an end around 476 CE.

• Christian influences:Art became more dogmatic in tone.

• Greek idealism was dying-human figures became harsh and brutal.

• There was a great struggle between pagans and Christians.

• Pagans made ancient looking monuments focusing on pagan rituals.

• Christians focused on primitive but emotional figures focusing on youthful depictions of Christ.