art 111- introduction to roman art
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to
Roman ArtRoman Republic & Pompeii + Herculaneum
The Roman Timeline
■ Roman Republican Period (509-27 BC): Begins with overthrowing
last Etruscan King and ends with Julius Caesar. Major buildings built more for
political use than for worship
– KEYWORDS: Temples, homage to rulers
■ Early Empire Period (27 BC-180 AD):
– KEYWORDS: Ara Pacis, Wall paintings, concrete, arch, Colosseum
■ The High Empire (180-195 AD): Five Good Emperors (Trajan, Hadrian,
etc.) kept things prosperous and peaceful.
– KEYWORDS: Column of Trajan, Hadrian’s Wall, Pantheon
■ The Late Empire (195-400 AD): Diocletian had Empire divided into four
parts.
– KEYWORDS: Tetrarchy, Arch of Constantine
The Republican Period509-27 BC
The Republican Period
One of the cultures that the
Etruscans had historically
controlled was a tribe of people
known as the Latins, who inhabited
the city of Rome
However, in 509 BC, the Etruscan
ruler of Rome, Tarquin, was
deposed from power by the Latins.
The Latins were inspired to overthrow
their Etruscan leader after Tarquin’s
son raped a famous and beloved Latin
woman named Lucretia.
Her rape went unpunished and, in
anguish and shame, Lucretia
committed suicide.
Lucretia’s death was the spark needed
to ignite the flame of revolution in
Rome
Titian, The Rape of Lucretia, Oil on panel,
1518 Rome
The RepublicanPeriod
■ After Tarquin’s expulsion, the Romans sought to create a new type of just government.
■ To do so, they blended the public participation of Greek democracy with the centralized authority of the previous Etruscans kings.
■ The result was a res publica, or republic, a government of the people.
The Republican Period
This new government had three
branches:
The Executive: The consulship, headed
by consuls
The Advisory: The Senate, populated by
senators
The Legislative: The Assembly, which
held two houses: The Assembly of
Centuries & The Assembly of Tribes
A great blending of others’ ideas!
• Tradition holds that Romulus founded the original
city on the Palatine Hill on April 21st, 753 BC,
and that the seven hills were first occupied by
small settlements that were not grouped nor
recognized as a city called Rome.
• The seven hills' denizens began to participate in
a series of religious games, which began to bond
the groups.
• The city of Rome, thus, came into being as these
separate settlements acted as a group, draining
the marshy valleys between them and turning
them into markets (fora in Latin).
• Later, in the early 4th century BCE, the Servian
Walls were constructed to protect the seven
hills.
• The seven hills are populated with monuments,
buildings, and parks.
•
THE REPUBLICAN PERIOD
• In fact, the Romans were not just
great adopters and synthesizers of
governments – they did so with many
other areas of culture: mythology,
literature, architecture, sculpture, or
theatre.
• In each case, the Romans observed
those of other cultures’, adopted the
aspects that they liked, discarded
those they didn’t, and eventually
formed a blended culture of their
own.
• This synthesizing of cultures displays itself most
prominently in the art, sculpture, and architecture
of Rome, with heavy influence coming from the
Greeks.
• Many times, this leads the viewer of an artwork to
wonder:
IS IT GREEK OR
ROMAN?
Imperial Portrait
SculpturePropaganda for victorious and
powerful Roman Emperor
Individualized features (we can tell who is
who)
But made more beautiful with
idealized proportions, youth, and fitness
Copies of Greek
Originals
Same characteristics of Classical style
making marble versions of Greek
bronzes
Considered “Roman copies of Greek
Originals” instead of Roman art
Portraits of Private Citizens
realistic detail and individualized features
Shows age and “imperfections”
“Warts and all”
The Three Types of Ancient Roman Sculpture
1 2 3
Element
• Preferred Structure
• Walls
• Trademark Forms
• Support System
• Column Style
• Sculpture
• Painting
• Subject of Art
Greek
• Temples to Glorify Gods
• Made of cut stone blocks
• Rectangles, Straight Lines
• Post & Lintel
• Doric & Ionic
• Idealized Gods & Goddesses
• Stylized figures floating in Space
• Mythology
Roman
• Civic Buildings to honor Empire
• Concrete with Ornamental facing
• Circles, Curved Lines
• Rounded Arch
• Corinthian
• Realistic (Verism) humans, idealized officials
• Realistic images with Perspective
• Civic Leaders, military triumphs
Is it Greek or is it Roman?
Temple of Athena Nike
Classical Greek; c. 427 BCETemple of Portunus
Rome, Italy; c. 75 BCE
IS IT GREEK OR ROMAN?
The Pantheon
Rome, Italy; c.
126 CE
The Parthenon
Athens, Greece; c.
420 BCE
IS IT GREEK OR ROMAN?
Augustus Of Primaporta,Pax Romana (Roman)
Polykleitos, Doryphoros,High Classical Greek
Athena and Alcyoneus Frieze
from the Altar of Zeus at
Pergamon, c.180 BCE,
Hellenistic Greek
Spoils from the Temple of Solomon,
Jerusalem
Relief on the Arch of Titus
81 CE, Early Empire Rome
ROMAN REVOLUTION: THE ARCH
The Roman invention of the true arch with its voussoirs and central keystone
allowed the Romans to create grander arcuated structures than the Greeks
REPUBLICAN ART
• The Temple of Portunus is an example of
Roman synthesis.
• It follows the Etruscan design pattern:
• High podium is accessible only at the
front, with its wide flight of steps.
• Freestanding columns are confined to the
deep porch.
• The structure is built of stone and was
originally overlaid with stucco in
imitation of the white marble temples of
the Greeks.
Temple of Portunus
Rome, Italy; ca. 75 BCE
• The columns are Ionic, complete
with flutes and bases.
• In an effort to approximate a
peripteral Greek temple - while
maintaining the Etruscan plan -
the architect added a series of
engaged Ionic half-columns
around the cella’s sides and
back.
• The result was a
pseudoperipteral (“peripteral-
like”) temple.
TEMPLE OF THE SIBYL (OR VESTA)
TIVOLI, ITALY; C. 90 BC
• The Romans’ admiration for the Greek temples they encountered in their conquests also led to the importation of the round, or THOLOS, temple type.
• The travertine columns are Corinthian.
• In contrast with Greek practice, the cella wall was constructed not of masonry blocks but of a new invention: concrete.
REPUBLICAN ART
ROMAN CONCRETE
• The Recipe for Roman Concrete:
• 1. Pozzolana
• 2. Lime
• 3. Water
• 4. Aggregate
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l
ND7_c6my30
REPUBLICAN ART
L’Arringatore (Aulus Metellus), Hollow-cast bronze, c.
75 BCE
Artists of the Republican Period sought to create very
realistic images of their rulers.
Dressed in the traditional draped toga, Aulus Metellus
poses with authority and persuasiveness.
Funerary Relief with Portraits of the Gessii; Rome, Italy; 30 BC
• The sculptural portraits of
prominent Roman Republican
figures are literal reproductions of
individual faces.
• Republican portraits are one way
the patrician class celebrated its
elevated status.
Slaves could not
have portraits,
because, under
Roman law,
they were
property.
• Yet when freed slaves died, they
often ordered portraits for their
tombs.
• This image depicts former slaves
who have gained their freedom
and right to have their portraits
created.
REPUBLICAN ART
• Patrician portraits were typically of men
of advanced age (generally these elders
held the power in the state).
• One of the most striking of these so-
called veristic (superrealistic) portraits is
of an unidentified patrician.
• We are able to see this man’s personality:
serious, experienced, determined virtues
that were admired during the Republic.
Head of a Roman Patrician,
from Otricoli, Italy; 75-50 BC
POMPEII
Pompeii & Herculeaneum Pompeii & neighboring
Herculaneum were buried on
August 24 & August 25, 79AD
by the eruption of Mt.
Vesuvius
Pompeii is the most
important archeological site
for learning about life in a
Roman city
• Much less is known about
Herculaneum because:
• Part is under very hard
volcanic rock
• Part is under the modern
city of Naples, Italy
The Eruption of Vesuvius
• The Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius was
massive
• It was particularly violent
because Vesuvius had not
erupted for a very long time
(over 200 years)
The City of Pompeii
No other ancient site has
captured the imagination of
those interested in ancient
Rome more than Pompeii
Yet, there are many
misconceptions about the site
of Pompeii
Misconceptions
The victims were “buried alive,” they had no chance of escape
The city was buried “as it was,” the victims were caught completely unaware
Pompeii was never again explored after ancient times
Misconceptions
There are even some doubts about the date of the eruption because:
The historical text that gives the date is corrupt
Remains of fruit that are more suitable for autumn have been found at the site
Many victims were found “bundled up” in warmer, autumn clothes
Realities
The eruption did not occur without warning, there were many earthquakes in
the week leading up to the eruption
Many people did escape; some of those who did not may have been looters or
were simply unwilling to leave.
Realities
Pompeii as it appears today is not an exact reflection of a typical Roman city
It was a city from which people were trying to escape
A massive earthquake had occurred in 62 AD so sometimes it is impossible to tell if
the damage was from the earthquake or the eruption of Vesuvius
Realities
Some parts of Pompeii have been rebuilt because:
It needs to look sensible and attractive to tourists
Some of it was destroyed by Allied bombs during World War II and it has to be “re-
built”
Realities
The victims were not “buried alive” as they were going about their days:
Victims were killed by the thermal heat of Vesuvius’s pyroclastic flow as they tried
to escape
In fact, the heat was so intense it killed them instantly: it was not the volcanic
ash.
Realities
Pompeii was explored shortly after the eruption:
Pompeii’s inhabitants went back to look for their belongings
Treasure hunters dug tunnels into the site to look for treasures
There are signs of their presence and some of the remains may actually be looters
The Plaster Molds
Despite the misconceptions, no other ancient site shows what
an ancient city may have been like better than Pompeii
The most striking example of this is the plaster molds from
Pompeii
In 1863, Giuseppe Fiorelli, an Italian archeologist invented the
technique of the plaster molding
The Plaster Molds
Pompeii was buried roughly 70 feet of volcanic ash
Fiorelli realized that, by pounding on the ground, he could identify areas which were hollow below
The hollow areas were once filled with remains- pottery, bodies, or other items- that had long since decomposed, leaving negatives
The Plaster Molds
By pouring plaster into this hollow
area, the plaster would dry and
take the original shape of what
once laid there
Archeologists could then dig around
the plaster, and take out the
positive model of what was once
actually contained there.
The following are some examples:
The site of Pompeii
THE ENTRANCE TO THE SITE
The Forum at Pompeii
The Forum was the political, economic and religious center of a Roman city
The forum contained buildings for running the city (senate house, courts,
etc), temples and shops
The remains of the forums of Pompeii look like this
THE FORUM AT POMPEII
RECONSTRUCTED FORUM AT POMPEII
The Streets of Pompeii
One can walk the streets of Pompeii in the form they would have been walked
by the city’s inhabitants
One can see how the Romans paved their streets, as well as the complex
system the Romans used to deliver and channel water
THE STREETS OF POMPEII
THE AMPHITHEATER
• Pompeii has the oldest known amphitheater in the
Roman world; it dates back to 80BC
• An amphitheater is a stadium which is enclosed on all
sides to form an oval.
• It seats (cavea) are supported by a complicated series of
vaults, arches & arcades.
• Amphitheaters require no earth to support them! They
are freestanding structures
THE AMPHITHEATER AT POMPEII
THE AMPHITHEATER AT POMPEII
THE THEATER AT POMPEII
• Pompeii also had a major theater
• A theater is a half arc, not a full circle
• It was likely used for plays or concerts
• The theater at Pompeii looked like this:
THEATRE AT POMPEII
The Palestra
Also found at Pompeii is something called the palestra
The palestra was a large open filed surrounded on all sides by colonnades
The palestra was originally used for schools, as Roman education stressed
both the mental and the physical.
The Palestra
The rooms that were housed within the colonnades would have been used for
educating Roman pupils in literature and the art of public speaking, while the
field would have been used for athletic training
Later, the palestra was converted to a gladiatorial training school
The Palestra
We are told that the Roman Emperor Nero had to ban gladiatorial shows in
Pompeii for a decade because of a riot that broke out over a gladiatorial
competition between the Pompeiians and the neighboring Nicerians.
Apparently, the Pompeiians were sore losers.
The Palestra
In one of the rooms of a palestra, the remains of 17 gladiators have been
found, chained to a wall
A woman who appears to be wealthy (she was wearing jewelry) was found
there as well
This begs the question: What was she doing there?
THE PALESTRA
Daily Life in Pompeii
The remains of certain buildings give us a glimpse of what daily life was like
for the people of Pompeii
Among some of the buildings we have remains of are shops, baths, and homes
Even graffiti on the walls still remains in certain areas of Pompeii
APISTRINUM (BAKERY)
THERMOPOLIUM (“FAST FOOD” RESTAURANT)
THERMAE (BATH)
Roman Houses
Because of its inhabitants’ wealth, Pompeii also has some of the most
magnificent houses in Rome’s history
Among the more famous homes are:
The Villa of the Mysteries
The House of the Faun
The House of the Vettii
A TYPICAL ROMAN HOUSE
Peristyle: the open
courtyard or garden
surrounded by a colonnade
at the back of the house
Tablinum: the homeowners’ office, study, or greeting
area
House Terms to Know
Fauces: The Narrow entryway from the Street
Atrium: The central public room of the house, just inside the entryway; it usually
has an impluvisum, or water basin at its center
Cubiculum: the small, painted- but- windowless bedrooms & dressing rooms
surrounding the atrium
Triclinium: the dining room, located off the peristyle
Lararium: A shrine to the Roman household gods, usually located in the peristyle
Social Aspects of the Home
Like the Greeks, the Romans (and Italians) were big on social hierarchy
The plans of most of the homes differ lightly in the layout, but inevitably are
designed to enable the visitor to see into the home
When the front door was open during the day, a passerby could see directly
into the atrium, then the tablinum, which lead directly into the peristyle
The more gardens and courtyards you had, the greater your wealth and status
During the time of the Roman republic, ranking aristocratic families
(patricians) used domestic display as a way to reinforce social position and as
a way to advance their own fortunes
Roman Home Decoration
These houses also contain a number of magnificently preserved decorative
elements in the forms of
Frescos: wall paintings created by painting into wet plaster to create a bonded
image & wall
Some scholars consider it among the finest examples of the Fourth Style at Pompeii
Mosaics: images created from tiny, tiny pieces of glass or tile that are called
tessurae
THE FIRST POMPEIAN STYLE
• “Incrustation Style” consisted mainly of imitations of
colored marble.
• Plaster was molded and painted to look like blocks or
panels of colored stones.
• The First Style originated in the Hellenistic world in the
late fourth century BC and was used in Roman homes in
the last two centuries of the Republic.
THE SECOND POMPEIAN STYLE
• or “Architectural Style”
• This period saw a focus on architectural features and trompe-l’oeil compositions.
• Changed in that three-dimensional objects, principally architectural features, were painted realistically rather than modeled in plaster.
Detail of fresco wall painting with garland of fruits and leaves, from the exedra of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, 40–30 BC
THE THIRD POMPEIAN STYLE
• “Ornate Style
• the Third Style favored ornate and colorful decoration painted on monochrome backgrounds.
• The wall was frequently divided into three to five vertical zones by narrow, spindly columns and decorated with painted foliage, candelabra, birds, animals, and figurines.
• Also saw the introduction of Egyptian themes and imagery
THE FOURTH POMPEIAN STYLE
• “Intricate Style”, saw a resurgence in
architectural scenes
• incorporated central panel pictures with
mythological episodes, landscapes, scenes of
daily life and still life images
FOURTH STYLE
PORTRAIT OF HUSBAND AND WIFEHOUSE VII
POMPEII, ITALY70-79 AD
Fourth Style
The man holds a scroll and the woman a stylus and a wax
writing tablet, standard attributes in Roman marriage
portraits.
Such portraits were Roman equivalents of modern wedding
photographs of the bride and groom posing in rented formal
garments never worn by them before or afterwards.
Sensitive studies of the man and woman’s individual faces.
Realistic portrait type placed on a conventional figure type.
House of the Vettii
One of the best preserved houses at Pompeii is the House of the Vetti, an old Pompeiian house remolded and repainted after the earthquake of 62 AD
This photograph was taken in the fauces
It shows the impluvium in the center of the atrium, the opening in the roof above, and in the background, the peristyle garden with its marble tables and mural paintings
Street view, House of the Vettii, Pompeii
House of the Vettii
The house was owned by two
brothers Aulus Vettius
Restitutus and Aulus Vettius
Conviva, probably freedmen
who had made their fortune as
merchants
Their wealth enabled them to
purchase and furnish houses
that would have been owned
only by patricians
FRESCOES FROM THE HOUSE OF THE VETTII
VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES IN POMPEII SEEN FROM ABOVE
FRESCOES FROM THE VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES
DIONYSIAC MYSTERY FRIEZE VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES, POMPEII, ITALY60-50BC
• This chamber was probably used to celebrate, in private, the rites of the Greek god Dionysos
• Dionysos was the focus of an unofficial mystery religion popular in Italy at this time among women.
• Note the human interaction between the figures. The figures are like life and are in a variety of poses
• Nothing comparable to this room existed in HellenisitcGreece.
• Despite the use of Dionysos, satyrs and other figures from Greek mythology, this is a Roman design.
HOUSE OF THE FAUN2ND CENTURY BCPOMPEII, ITALY
WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST IMPRESSIVE PRIVATE RESIDENCES IN POMPEII, AND HOUSED MANY GREAT PIECES OF ART.IT IS ONE OF THE MOST LUXURIOUS ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES FROM THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
ALEXANDER THE GREAT MOSAIC FROM THE HOUSE OF THE FAUN 100BC
• is a Roman floor mosaic originally from the House of the Faun in Pompeii.
• It depicts a battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia
• The mosaic is believed to be a copy of an early 3rd-century BC Hellenistic painting.
Alexander the Great Darius III of Persia
DETAILS OF THE MOSAIC
A Virtual Roman Domus
ROMAN MOSAICS OF POMPEII
MOSAICS AT POMPEII