Roman Art 9.1 The Rising Power of Rome

The Roman Republic Under Etruscan rule Rome grew to

become the biggest city in Italy. Romans were unhappy and drove the

Etruscans from their city and established a republic but did not end their problems.

They found themselves surrounded by

enemies but managed to defend itself and gain control of Italy.

The Roman Republic

The Greek Influence Much of Roman art was copied from the

Greeks.

Romans had great admiration towards Greek art.

Romans imported Greek art and Roman

artists went to Greece to study with Greek artists to learn their style and techniques.

Although they borrowed a lot of Greek style

they also made important contributions of their own especially in architecture.

Roman Sculpture and Painting

Reflects techniques and styles used in Greek sculpture and painting.

A desire for life-like portraits

At one time wax masks were made of deceased family members to be carried during the funeral and for a shrine in the home.

Wax was temporary and soon marble and other

stone was used because it was longer lasting. Artists who could carve life-like portraits were in

great demand at the time.

Differences between Roman and Greek Sculpture

GREEK SCULPTURE ROMAN SCULPTURE

Preferred idealistic portraits

Designed for public monuments

Usually sculpted the entire body

Considered a sculpture of a head or bust incomplete

Preferred realistic portraits Designed for private needs Wanted their sculpture to

remind people of specific individuals

Natural and Life-like

Show personal character with facial features and expression

Often just sculpted the head and not the whole body

Bust of Cato and Portia c.Late 1st Century Marble

Double Portrait Bust Bust =sculpture from

the torso up Creates the feeling you

are looking at a real person

Shows wrinkles and

imperfections Expressions show

character

Mural Painting Wealthy Romans lived in lavish

homes.

They did not like hanging artworks on the walls so instead artists painted murals.

Murals = large picture painted directly on the wall

Artists tried to reproduce the world around them as accurate as possible.

The scene often created the

impression of looking out a window. Tour a Roman Villahttp://www.villa-rustica.de/tour/toure.html

Pompeii Not all Roman paintings are noteworthy

This is evident in the many paintings found in houses in Pompeii

Pompeii was a city that was covered in ash when the volcano Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79

When the remains were found archeologist

discovered that almost of their homes were decorated with murals.

Roman Architecture Few examples of Roman painting and

sculpture remain but examples of architecture and survived.

Designed and constructed city services such as aqueducts, sewer systems, and public buildings for business and leisure.

Romans were excellent planners and engineers.

The Temples Many early Roman temples resemble

Greek architecture.

Romans used features that fit their purposes.

Whereas Greeks used columns for

support purposes Romans used them for decoration.

Maison CarreeNimes, France

Greek influence can be seen in this Roman temple that was built in France.

From first glance it looks like a Greek temple but a closer look reveals that the columns do not surround the entire building.

Half columns are attached

to the wall to create a decorative pattern.

Temple Design The design of this Roman

structure, which has been standing over 2000 years, demonstrates how the use of the following techniques creates stability and strength even in large buildings.

Barrel Vault = a series of

round arches from front to back that form a tunnel.

Innovations in Structure and Materials

The round arch improved the post and lintel system that the Greeks used.

It allowed them to span a

large area

Keystone = top stone of an arch

With the arch and concrete Romans could not build large scale architecture.

Spread of Roman Architecture

Where ever the Roman army traveled, they spread their knowledge of the arch and concrete building techniques.

This bridge in Spain, was built by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago and is still used today.

Roman Bridge, Alcantara, Spain

Roman Acquaducts Aqueduct = a system that

carries water from mountain streams into cities by using gravitational flow.

The series of arches supports each other and keeps the structure standing.

11 aqueducts can be found

in and around Rome, ranging in length from 10-60 miles, and carried nearly 270 million gallons of water in to the city each day!

Vocab and Quiz Review Mural = large painted picture directly

on the wall Keystone = top stone of an arch Barrel Vault = a series of round

arches from front to back that form a tunnel.

Aqueduct = a system that carries water from mountain streams into cities by using gravitational flow.