G R E E K A N D R O M A N A RT

ROMAN ART

ROMAN ART

• Roman city-state- first beginnings 8th century BC• Expanded control in every direction• Laws, religion, customs, organization and

language to all areas• Absorbed culture of conquered areas• What they didn’t import, they copied and created • Greatest contribution to art- architecture- Roman

influence• Arch, vault and concrete

ROMAN ART

ROMAN ARTGreek Roman

Structure temples Civic buildings

walls Cut stone blocks Concrete, ornamental

Trademark forms Rectangles, straight lines

Circles, curved lines

Column style Doric, Ionic Corinthian

sculpture Idealized gods and goddesses

Realistic humans, idealized officials

Subject matter Mythology Civic leaders

Support system Post and lintel Rounded arch, vaults

ROMAN ART

• Started with Etruscans

• Lack of evidence- buried under present day cities, difficult to excavate

• Began use of arch• Master builders

and town planners• Porta Augusta• 2nd century BC• Perugia• Etruscan

ROMAN ART

• Admired bronze sculptures, even by Greeks (most likely modeled after Greek original though!)• Greek toga, adopted by

Romans• Statuette of a Rider• 450-425 BC• Bronze• 11 in • Comacchio

ROMAN ART

• Advanced architecture to unrivaled heights

• Arenas, huge public baths, public forums

• The Pantheon- in honor of the gods (greek meaning)

• Creates perfect circle- 144 ft diameter, and height

• Coffered- waffle like ceilings• Oculus- eye like opening at

top for light• Rain? No worries. Elaborate

underground drainage system

• Doors original• Corinthian columns

ROMAN ARTPantheon

ROMAN ART

• Baths at Caracalla show opulence, several pools varying temps, rooms used for libraries, offices meeting rooms, rec rooms etc

ROMAN ART

• Basilicas- large meeting halls part of civic center in each city

• Later turned into churches (next week)

• Forums- places to chat, shop, discuss etc

• Forum Romanum

• Rome

ROMAN ART

• Trajans column• Depicted

Trajan’s victory over Dacians• 113 AD • Rome• 106-133

AD• Marble

ROMAN ART

• Commemorated victories and important people• Difference bt

Greeks

• Arch of Constantine• 312-315 AD• Rome

ROMAN ART

• Homes were typically 2 story affairs, garden, atrium• Excellent planning and town management

ROMAN ART

• Magnificent planners- aqueducts, etc

• 11 aqueducts- 350 mil gal/day

• weather/ repairs Apr 1- Nov 1

• Pont du Gard• Nimes, France• Triple story stone• 30 miles• 22,000 tons of

water/ day• Av use- 50 gal/day

ROMAN ART

• The Colosseum- grandest and most recognized of all Roman structures

• Three emperors- Vespasian, Titus and Domitian• Staging of lavish spectacles• 50,000 Romans could be seated inside• Arches and vaults used• Outer wall- 16 stories• Velarium- awning- 1000 men nec.Doric, Ionic and Corinthian from

ground up• 76 entrances- ticketed- modern influence• Statues in niches• Winches and lifting tackle employed• 100 meter long floor area could be filled with water for mock

naval battles• Used its marble for other buildings

• Colosseum

Fun fact- slaves sprayed perfume at rich patrons

for what reason?

ROMAN ART

• Borrowed heavily, but used own people for most part

• Emphasized greatness of emperors

• Portrait sculpture- busts- predominant

• Head of Augustus • 27 BC-14 AD• Bronze• Found in Sudan• Prob sculpted in Egypt• Let countrymen know

ROMAN ART

• Commissions to decorate homes of wealthy also shown in busts• Coiffure and

ornamentation

• Portrait of a Lady• 180-200 AD• Marble

ROMAN ART

• Verism- exaggerated natural truths in sculpture• Head of a

Roman Patrician from Otricoli• c. 75-50 BCE• marble

ROMAN ART

• Propaganda and politics

• Augustus of Primaporta• 1st century BC• marble• 2.03 meters

ROMAN ART

• Denarius (Roman coin)• Trajan in profile• Dacian seated right on pile of arms, his hands

bound behind him• silver, c. 103-11

ROMAN ART

• Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius• gilded bronze• 173-76 AD

• Accidently not melted bc thought to be Constantine- emperer - Christianity

ROMAN ART

• Head of Constantine part of larger sculpture

• Large eyes- common in early Christian period

• Eyes carved so that shadows, not paint provide def of iris/ pupil

• Constantine the Great

• 330 AD• Marble• 8 ¼ ft

ROMAN ART

• Extent of painting influence on Romans not determined, not a lot left• Used paintings to decorate and color interior of

houses• Landscapes and architecture scenes painted to

serve as “windows” and open up space• Portraits painted on walls to commemorate family

members• Done in fresco

ROMAN ART

• Woman Playing a Cithara• 79 AD• Fresco

• Life size

ROMAN ART

• Mosaic work- excelled• Marble cut,

polished and fitted together• Floor mosaics,

wall mosaics- smaller stones• Young Women

Exercising• 4th century AD• Mosaic

ROMAN ART

• Pompeii

• 79 AD• 20,000 inhabitants• 2,000 stayed• 3 days later- city buried under 25 ft of rock and

ash• 1748 interest in site- excavations• Preserved exactly as was• Vesuvius only active volcano on European

mainland

ROMAN ART

1. Who inhabited the land that became Rome before the Romans?2. What was the Romans greatest contribution to the art world?3. What kinds of structures did the Romans build? Why?4. What key architectural pieces did the Romans first utilize?5. What is coffered?6. What is an oculus?7. What is a forum?8. Why did Romans create sculpture, for what purpose?9. What is verism?10. Compare your height to that of the head of Constantine. Why do you think

he was made the size he was?11. Why are so many Roman wall paintings preserved in Pompeii?12. Two words, that start with a “P”, describe the reasons for most Roman

sculpture. What are they?13. How does Trajan’s Column read like a comic book?14. Describe the process to making a mosaic. Where were mosaics put?15. How are the eyes of Constantine the Great different from the eyes of a lot

of Greek sculpture we studied?