Ancient Roman Art
Background:
Ancient Roman art can be split into three main periods:
- Republic (500 BCE) - overthrew the Etruscans
- Imperial (27 BCE) - begins with Augustus Caesar
- Late imperial - depicts war, fighting, and chaos
The two main architectural features that allowed the Romans to be so powerful were arches and concrete. They allowed the Romans to create large, beautiful structures, and unlike the Greeks who had to harmonize architecture with the environment, they could change, altar, and destroy the environment to build.
Rome was the first to create a true arch; they had more support and were much stronger, and they moved the thrust down. Voussoirs, wedge shaped stones, were used to construct the arches. In their structures, the Romans used barrel arches, a long row of connected arches, and groin vaults, two perpendicularly connected barrel arches.
Concrete started in the first century BCE, and was made using powdered limestone, sand, water, and rubble. It was cheaper, stronger, and faster to make, and the Romans would make wood molds which they could pour concrete into to make different structures.
Ancient Rome
House of the Vetti
Form: 1,100 square meters, late architectural style, open layout, peristyle garden
Content: decorative schema - paintings with meaning, largest room opens up to peristyle garden, tromp l'œil - creates optical illusion, 4 styles of paintings evident
Context: "old" rich fled to Roman cities after earthquake and formed a new upper class, house owners were wine merchants, house owned by two previous slaves and shows the social mobility, preserved by ashes of Pompeii
Function: displays wealth and status, has lockboxes, displays social mobility in Pompeii
Ancient Rome
The Colosseum
Form: two amphitheaters facing each other, holds 50,000 people, concrete and arches, sand in middle, 187 ft tall & 615 ft long; Ionic, Tuscan, and Corinthian columns
Content: 4 levels - cheaper seats were higher, levels 1-3 had many arches, underground level - hypogeum - had vast tunnel systems and held animals
Context: Flavian amphitheater, built on top of artificial lake that was part of Nero's lake, urban/modern way of building, Vespasian built as gift for Roman people, Colosseum was pillaged
Function: public entertainment, gladiator fights, naval battles
Ancient Rome
Forum of Trajan
Form: brick & concrete - allowed for quick & cheaper construction, ceremonial entrance
Content: giant courtyard - equestrian statue of Trajan, has markets - first 'shopping mall,' contains Column of Trajan
Context: showcases spoils of military campaigns - ambition in art & architecture, Trajan was Optimus Princeps, gift to the people, funded by the Dacian wards
Function: similar to Athenian Agora, markets, religious place, legal functions
Ancient Rome
Basilica of Ulpia
Form: marble floors, circles & spheres, columns, clerestory on top, roof was timber and set with bronze, brick, Roman arches, groin vaults let in light & air
Content: apse acted as legal courts - 2 apses meant two courts could be running at once
Context: had to level half a hill to have the land to build the Forum of Trajan - showcases Roman strength and uniqueness
Function: impresses those that come in, primarily for legal purposes - courthouse, public space
Ancient Rome
Column of Trajan
Form: 120 ft high, 620 ft of low relief sculptures, continuous narration, used to be painted
Content: used to have statue of Trajan at top (now statue of St. Peter), Trajan appears 59 times, 2,500 people, 2,300 registers, hollow column - has stairs
Context: depicts military campaign that Trajan used to fund Forum of Trajan
Function: relief tells stories of Trajan's military might - little violence but rather depictions of preparations, exercise of totalitarianism, bottom used to have ashes of Trajan
Ancient Rome
Pantheon
Form: walls made of concrete brick, lighter materials used as you move up, columns made of imported marble, Corinthian capital, many Roman arches, 2nd and 3rd style of Pompeiian painting, walls 20 ft wide at base
Content: entrance has large bronze doors and arches, inside dome built to contain human field of vision, based on math - perfect proportions, one large window, checkered floor inside, contains oculus
Context: commissioned by emperor Hadrian, tribute to commander Marcus, best preserved Roman architecture, rebuilding of earlier temple
Function: dedicated to Agrippa, worship of all gods, shows intelligence & art, Hadrian held court here, functions as Catholic church today
Ancient Rome
Head of a Roman Patrician
Form: marble & terra cotta, used hot wax technique, used to be polychromed marble
Content: experienced with wisdom, naturalism & power, showcasing wisdom & power through age, shows ideal of verism
Context: name is unknown, from ruling class family of Rome, indicates power and status, Republican Roman
Function: honor the deceased, represents life & culture
Ancient Rome
Augustus of Primaporta
Form: 7 ft fall, white marble, very detailed, contrasts the hard stiff armor, Cupid resting on leg
Content: breastplate shows power and connection to the gods, dolphin & Cupid connect to naval victories and lineage from Venus
Context: 152 years ago, April 20, 1863, in villa given from Augustus to his wife
Function: propaganda of Augustus - depicts him as a powerful leader, breast plate has important messages, connects him to his divine lineage
Ancient Rome
Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus
Form: high relief, made of marble, 5 ft tall, 9 ft wide, naturalistic, Hellenistic period, use of vertical placement - depiction of perception, implied lines create focus on hero, horror vacui - crowded composition
Content: depicts battle between Romans & barbarians, naturalism but also stylization, Romans bold and idealized and barbarians deformed and bearded, hidden registers depicting different scenes and a story line, top shows victory
Context: 260 - 250 CE, find in tomb, Romans moved back to being buried in sarcophagi
Function: sarcophagus, eternal depiction of the buried, hero like depiction