A Painter at Work. 1st century BCE–1st century CE. 17 7/8

A Painter at Work. 1st century BCE–1st century CE. 17 7/8” × 17

3/8”.

A Painter at Work, 1st Century BC, Pompeii

The Ancient Roman World.

:: Beginning around 1000 B.C., the Etruscan civilization emerged in Etruria - the region around modern Tuscany.

The Roman Republic & Empire Etruscan and Roman Art

Etruscan wealth: Fertile soil Metal ores: Iron, tin, copper, silver Skilled seafarers

Women: Freedom, fashion conscious, and better educated than Greek women

Etruscan counterparts of Greco-Roman Gods and Heroes

Etruscan Tinia Uni Minerva Apulu Artumes Hercle

Greek Zeus Hra Athena Apolo Artemis Herakles

Roman Jupiter Juno Minerva Apollo Diana Hercules

We cannot read their language, but we know that Etruscans borrowed the Greek Gods and were influenced by Greek art styles.

This influx of goods and designs from the East played a major role in initiating the Italic

and Etruscan Geometric/Orientalizing period

700-600 B.C.

ca. 750–575 B.C.

Etruscan art is distinctive & reflects a belief in a material afterlife.

This chariot, late 6th century was found in a tomb in Monteleone, Italy, and probably saw little actual use before it was buried with its owner.

Etruscan cemetery at Cerveteri, 7th-4th century BCE Laid out like a small town with streets running between grave mounds.

Their concept of the afterlife was closer to the Egyptian concept of the afterlife and their tombs were considered to be homes of the “dead”.

Unique aspect of Etruscan funerary art : The deceased appear alive.

:: Many Etruscans cremated their dead burying the ashes in individual tombs or cinerary urns

:: Brightly colored scenes of playing, feasting, dancing, hunting, fishing, and other leisure activities decorated the tomb walls. :: Tomb chambers were partially excavated below ground, some out of bedrock.

Title: Burial chamber, tomb of the Triclinium, Tarquinia Date: c. 480–470 BCE

Painted tombs are rare and the privilege of only the wealthiest Etruscan families.

Burial chamber, Tomb of the Reliefs, Cerveteri, 3rd century BCE

Some tombs were carved out of the rock to resemble rooms in a house…

Sarcophagus of a married couple, c. 520 BCE, painted terracotta, 6’ 7” long Contained cremated remains rather than the deceased’s body

Wealthy couple reclining on a banqueting couch - shown in the manner of dining typically restricted to Greek men.

Married Couple (Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai) Embracing. c. 350–300 BCE. Length 7’.

Which feature is NOT characteristic of Etruscan depictions of human figures? a.  Animated gestures b.  Intimacy between figures c.  Serene detachment

Etruscan Architecture

Etruscans used Post + Lintel seen in Greece…their pattern of building was later used by the Romans

Porta Augusta, Perugia, Italy, 2nd century BCE •  One of the few remaining examples of Etruscan

monumental architecture •  Anticipates the Roman use of the round arch

•  Voussoir: wedge-shaped stone blocks used in an arch

Temple at Veii, c. 515-490 BCE • Archaeologists have constructed a model based on Vitruvius's account. • Resembled Gk. stone temples but had wooden columns + roof, walls of sun dried brick. • Result is a more massive quality and stronger emphasis on the front

Etruscan temples had mud brick walls.

unfluted

The Etruscans & Romans adapted Greek architectural orders to their own tastes and uses.

Pediment statues were rare. Instead they normally placed narrative statuary – in terracotta- on the peaks of their temple rooftops.

Apollo of Veii Medium: Painted terra cotta Size: height 5'10" (1.8 m) Date: c. 510–500 BCE

Terracotta: a brownish orange clay used in pottery and building construction.

Similar to Greek kouroi

Etruscans interested in gesture, motion, and posture more so than the kouroi.

Title: Mirror Medium: Engraved bronze Date: c. 400–350 BCE

Augury: foretelling the future by examining the entrails of animals or the flights of birds

Etruscan bronze workers created items for both funerary and domestic use… such as this mirror. A mirror had the power to capture an image so it was almost magical…

Mirror (Zeus & Hera), c. 350-300 BCE, engraved bronze

The legendary founders of Rome are Romulus & Remus.

Title: She-Wolf, Capitoline Wolf Medium: Bronze, glass-paste eyes