Roman Art

"Ancient art was the tyrant of Egypt, the mistress of Greece, and the servant of Rome."

-Henry Fuseli

Roman Art

The art that followed the absorption of Greece into the Roman Empire is thus often called Greco-
Roman. It was fashionable for Romans to own- or at the very leas, have copies of - Greek works
of art.

They were master builders who created some of the grandest monuments in the history of
architecture.

Inventors of concrete

The Repiblican Period

followed upon the heels of their final victories over the Etruscans and lasted until teh death of
Julius Caesar in 44 BCE.

their system of government this time was based on two-parties, although the distribtion of
power was not equitable.

patricians

ruled the country and could be likened to an aristroratic class.

came from important families and later were characterized as nobility.

plebian class

common folk and has less say in running the government

they were, however, permitted to elect theri patrician representatives.

Juliuis Ceasar

dictator of the Roman empire

Roman culture reached the peak of refinement

the language of Greece, its literature, and religion were adopted along with its artistic styles.

died due to assassination by the members of the senate.

replaced by Augustus, his successor that resulted to the birth of the Roman Empire.

Sculpture

its portrait sculpture originated in a tradition that was wholly Italian

Rome's unique contribution to he arts-that of realism

It was customary for Romans to make wax death masks of their loved ones and keep it to the
house, as we do photographs. eventually became bronze or terracotta as a more permanent
medium.

detailed images that recorded every ripple and crevice of the face; made from actual faces and
heads of the subjects.

head of a roman

serves more as an unimpassioned and uninvolved record of the existence of one man.

architecture

rome's gratest contribution

stylistically linked to both Greek ad Etruscan precedents

Temple of Fortuna Virilis

the difference between Greece and of Rome is the feeling that the Romans did not treat their
building as sculpture. emphisizing the relaitonship between form and function

painting

the walls of the Roman domestic dwellings were profusely decorated with frescoes and mosaics,
some of which has survived the ravages of time beginning in about 200BCE and ending with the
destruction of Pompeii (Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE).

Ulysses in the Land of the Lestrygonians

portrayed a convincing in three-dimensional space through the use of herring-bone perspective,
a system whereby orthogonals vanish to a specific point along a vertical line that divides the
canvas.

the early empire

under the rule of Octavian Caesar -- later called Augustus.

marks the beginning of the Roman Empire and the Pax-Romana, a 200-year period of peace.

the desire to glorify the power of Rome by erecting splendid buildings and civic monuments.

it was believed that art should be created in the service of the state

apartment building, roads and bridges. they also provided police and fire protection, water
systems, sanitation, and food. They even built recreation facilities for the inhabitants, including
gymnasiums, public baths nad theaters.

architecture

introduced several innovations in building design

Arch

use of concrete to replace cut stone.

·0 Aqueduct

carried water over long distances

pont du gard

has been long been admired for both its simplicity and its grandeur.

·1 monuments

colosseum

dedicated in 80 CE, the structure consists of two back-to-back amphitheathers forming an oval
arena, around which are tiers of marble bleachers.

the exterior of the colleseum was composed of masonry blocks held in place by metal dowels.
these dowels were removed over the years when metal became scarce, and thus gravity keeps
the structure intact.

Doric columns- lowest level; easy access and exit for the spectators
ionic order- second level

corinthian- third level

thumbs-up and thumbs-down

athough the colosseum was built for entertainment and festivals, its most notorious events
ranged from sadistic contests between animals and men and gruelling battles to the death
between pairs of gladiators.

survival might depend on whether the emperor (or the crowd) gave the "thumbs-up" or the
"thumbs-down".

pantheon

where the roman engineering genius can be seen most clearly

a brick and concrete structure originally erected to house sculptures of the roman gods.

although the building no longer contains these statues, its function remains religious.

since 609 CE, it has been a christian church.

design: combines the simoke geometric elements of a circle or a rectangle. the entrance consists
of a rectangular potico, complete with corinthian columns and pediment . the main body of the
building, to which the portico is attached, is circular.

the sole source if light is called th oculus, a circular opening at the top of the dome, 30 feet in
diameter.

sculpture

the pure realism of the republican period portrait busts was joined to greek idealism.

augustus of primaporta

augustus was determined to construct monuments reflecting the glory, power, and influence of
rome in the western world

Ara Pacis or Altar of peace

Imperial Procession
procession look and act like real people

bronze sculpture of marcus aurelius

marcus aurelius , clothed in flowing ribes, sits erectly on his horse and gestures rather passively.
his facial expression is calm and reserved, reflecting his adherence to stoic philosophy.

stoicism advocated the indifference to emotion and things of this world, maintainingthat virtue
was the most important goal in life.