Art of the Roman Empire

27 B.C. – 476 A.D.

Roman Empire under Augustus, 8 B.C.

Julius Caesar, 44 B.C.

Augustus of Primaporta

early 1st century A.D.

Altar of Augustan Peace, 13-9 B.C.

Detail of Terra Mater from Ara Pacis Augustae

Temple of Portunus, 2nd century B.C.

Pont du Gard (Nimes), late 1st century B.C.

Plan of Pompeii, 79 A.D.

Villa of the Mysteries, Cult of Bacchus (Pompeii) 50 B.C.

Atrium, House of the Silver Wedding (Pompeii) early 1st century A.D.This house was named in honour of the Italian royal couple, Umberto and Margherita of Savoy, on the occasion of their silver wedding anniversary in 1893, the same year in which the house was discovered. It is located in the last side street off Via Vesuvio, next to an area which has yet to be excavated. It was built in the 2nd century B.C. and is distinguished by its high atrium with four large column which support the roof and its bedroom where the sunlight was filtered by means of veils. There are two gardens. The first is in line with the atrium and has its own private bath-house and open-air swimming pool, a large kitchen and garden and an elegant living room. The latter was decorated with a mosaic floor and a second style paintings and has four octagonal imitation porphyry columns supporting a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The ceiling of the peristyle is higher on the side which receives most sunlight in order to provide a particularly pleasant area to sit on winter days. The second garden, which is much larger and completely surrounded by a wall, has a pool in the centre and an outdoor triclinium.

Colosseum (Rome) 72-80 A.D.

Interior of the Colosseum

Pantheon (Rome) 118-112 A.D.

Interior of Pantheon, sun streaming through Oculus

Arch of Titus, (Rome) 81 A.D.

Frieze from the Arch of Titus, shows Roman soldiers carrying spoils from the Temple, destroyed in 70 A.D.

Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, and their children, Geta and Caracalla, 200 A.D.

Caracalla, early 3rd century A.D.

The Tetrarchs, 300 A.D.The tetrarchs (from the Greek words for "Four rules") were the four co-rulers that governed the Roman Empire as long asDiocletian's reform lasted. Here they were portraied embracing, in sign of harmony, in a porphyry sculpture dating from the 4th century, produced in Asia Minor, today on a corner of Saint Mark's in Venice, next to the "Porta della Carta".

Coin depicting Constantine with Sol invictus, 305 A.D.

Arch of Constantine, (Rome) 312-315 A.D.