Roman ArtArt as demonstration of powerArt as demonstration of power

Time period: 753 BCE – 410 CE

So in other words…

8th century BCE – 5th century CE (We’re finally in the Common Era!)

New Vocabulary (to help you review)• Aqueduct: an overground water system• Ashlar masonry: carefully cut and grooved stones that support a building

without the use of concrete or other kinds of masonry• Atrium (plural: atria): a courtyard in a Roman house or before a Christian church• Basilica: in Roman architecture, a large axially planned building with a nave,

side aisles, and apses• Bust: a sculpture depicting a head, neck, and upper chest of a figure• Coffer: in architecture, a sunken panel in a ceiling• Cubiculum (plural: cubicula): a Roman bedroom flanking an atrium; in Early

Christian art, a mortuary chapel in a catacomb• Cupola: a small dome rising over the roof of a building; in architecture, a cupola

is achieved by rotating an arch on its axis• Encaustic: an ancient method of painting that uses colored waxes burned into a

wooden surface• Foreshortening: a visual effect in which an object is shortened and turned deeper

into the picture plane to give the effect of receding into space• Forum (plural: fora): a public square or market place in a Roman city• Fresco: a painting technique that involves applying water-based paint onto a

freshly plastered wall. The paint forms a bond with the plaster that is durable and long lasting

New vocabulary continued…

• Impluvium: a rectangular basin in a Roman house that is placed in the open-air atrium in order to collect rain water

• Keystone: the center stone of an arch that holds the others in place• Oculus: a circular window in a church, or a round opening at the top of a dome• Peristyle: an atrium surrounded by columns in a Roman house• Perspective: depth and recession in a painting or relief sculpture. Objects shown

in linear perspective achieve a three-dimensionality in the two-dimensional surface of the picture plane. All lines, called orthogonals, draw the viewer back in space to a common point (vanishing point). Sometimes there are multiple vanishing points. Landscapes that give the illusion of distance are in atmospheric or aerial perspective.

• Pier: a vertical support that holds up an arch or vault• Spandrel: a triangular space enclosed by the curves of arches• Vault: a roof constructed with arches. When an arch is extended into space,

forming a tunnel, it is called a barrel vault. When two barrel vaults intersect at right angles, it’s called a groin vault.

• Veristic: sculptures from the Roman Republic characterized by extreme realism of facial features

KEY IDEAS ABOUT ROMAN ART

• It reflects the ambitions of a powerful empire

• Monumental buildings and sculptures reflect glory of gods and state

• Architecture is revolutionary! – understood powers of arch, vault,

and concrete

• Pompeiian villas- give us a history of Roman painting

• It shows an interest in the basic elements of perspective and

foreshortening

• The sculpture is greatly influenced by Greek models

Does Rome have a unique characteristic style of art?

•Huge admiration for Greek art- had Greek art copied, original Roman art done in Greek style, many Roman artists were Greek in origin

•Roman authors uninterested in art of their own time- never developed literature on the theory, history or criticism of art like the Greeks

•We hear very little of specific artists who enjoyed individual fame

•Probably looked upon their own time as a decline in art compared to Greece

•Great majority of Roman art is unsigned- could have come from anywhere in Roman domain-

•Roman society very tolerant of alien traditions (if they did not threaten the security of the state)

•Religion was not forced - many traditions of Etruscan, Near East, and Egyptians were absorbed into Roman culture- therefore Roman style is not consistent- emergent styles existing side by side

To understand Roman art, we need to know the historical CONTEXT:

•Rome rose to glory by diplomacy and military strength•Roman influence is still around (literature, art, law, etc.)•Rome was established by Romulus and Remus (a legend)•Rome was first ruled by kings and then replaced by a senate (an elected body of privileged Roman men)•Established a sort of democracy•Increased their fortunes and expanded their boundaries through war•Obsessed with Greek art•Because of the city of Pompeii, we know more about daily life in ancient Rome than we know about any other civilization in history

PATRONAGE and ARTISTIC LIFE in ancient Rome:

• Roman government and wealthy people = major patrons of the arts• Spent lavishly on themselves and homes• Dedicated to the general good of the arts• Gave generously to public projects• Huge workshops cranking out Greek-style works• Romans built houses to impress and entertain• Lavish interiors of homes (marble plumbing fixtures!)• Interiors were grand domestic spaces that announced the

importance of the owner• Artists = low on social scale (what?!)- treated poorly – many were

slaves and never got credit for their work (whaaaaat?!??)

Let’s begin with ARCHITECTURE in ancient Rome…

INNOVATIONS IN ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

• Romans were master builders• Built great roads and massive aqueducts – efficient way

to connect cities and make areas livable• Temples = hymns to the gods, symbols of civic pride• Arenas – awed spectators (size and engineering are

awesome)• Perfected the arch and used it a lot (not used much

before)• Used concrete in constructing huge buildings – but

they thought it was ugly, so they covered concrete structures in other materials (like marble) to make them more attractive

•Each wedge-shaped stone is smaller at the bottom and wider at the top – arch stands indefinitely because wide top can’t pass through narrow bottom•No mortar needed – shape of stones in arch supports structure

Arches can be extended into space to form a continuous tunnel-like BARREL VAULT

•When two barrel vaults intersect, a larger, more open space is formed called a GROIN VAULT•Groin vault can be supported by only four PIERS, rather than requiring a continuous wall space that a barrel vault needs•Space between piers = SPANDRELS

PIER

SPANDRELSPANDREL

Groin vaultGroin vault

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France, early 1st century BC

•ASHLAR MASONRY: carefully cut and grooved stones that support a structure without concrete, mortar, etc.•Aqueduct brought water to city of Nimes•Roman cities had large populations because of their ability to bring water to city centers•Heavy, squat arches at bottom level•Thinner arches at second level•Lighter rhythm of smaller arches on top level, which carries the water of the aqueducts

view from top of Pont du Gard (Smolinski cam)

Smolinski cam

Arch of Constantine, 312-315 CE, Rome, Italy

•Built to commemorate Constantine’s victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE•Friezes and sculpture taken from monuments to older emperors: Trajan, Hadrian, Marcul Aurelius – Constantine draws parallel between their accomplishments and his

•New friezes done in situ•Placed at this location so that the central arch would, at a distance, frame a 100-foot-tall statue of the Sun god, Sol

look what’s next door

•rejection of classical ideal in contemporary sculpture•heads too large for bodies, squat figures, lack of space•large eyes, frontal stare, mechanical and repeated stances and gestures•shallow relief•heads not distinguished from one another

medalions

frieze

Basilica Nova (Basilica of Constantine) c.306-312 CE, Rome

once housed giant sculpture of Constantine(this is what’s left)

Reconstruction drawing of the Basilica of Constantine

•Largest roofed interior in all of Rome•BASILICA: large, axially planned building with nave, side aisles, and apses•NAVE = the center tract•CLERISTORY: upper part of nave with large windows to let light in•Large windows possible because groin vaults helped distribute weight•long halls that served civic purposes- standard feature of every Roman town- usually held the courts

•Massive building with great windows for maximum light•Large groin-vaulted main isle•Barrel-vaulted and COFFERED side aisles•Begun by Constantine’s rival, Maxentius; completed by Constantine

COFFER = sunken panel in a ceiling – prevents the weight of ceiling from cracking walls beneath it- lightens load

The Colosseum, Rome, 72-80 BC

•Fine balance between vertical and horizontal elements•Enormous amphitheater for gladiator games-in the center of Rome•One of the largest single buildings in history•Efficient-meant to serve large amount of human traffic (seated 50,000 people)•Utilizes barrel vaults, groin vaults, and arches

•ENGAGED COLUMNS, series of arches•Three classical orders are used- TUSCAN is on the ground floor (Tuscan = unfluted with severe Doric-style capitals)•Ionic on second level•Corinthian on levels 3 and 4 -lightening of the proportions, but its barely noticeable•Each type of column thought of as lighter than the order below it

Tuscan

Corinthian

Ionic

Flattened Corinthian

•Real name = Flavian Amphitheater•Concrete core, brick casting, travertine facing•76 entrances and exits circle the façade•Meant for wild and dangerous spectacles – gladiator combat, animal hunts, naval battles (not for religious persecution, as legend says)

•Above squared windows at top level are small brackets – to hold flagstaffs- anchors for retractable canvas roof used to protect crowd from hot sun•Much of the marble was removed in the Middle Ages

original appearance (notice canvas roof)

the floor was flooded for “naval battles” (entertainment)

Gladiators entertained audiences in violent fights with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Most were slaves, trained in harsh conditions, and socially rejected.

Check out the Academy Award-winning“Spartacus”(1960). Smolinski two thumbs up

Market of Trajan, 100-112 CE, Rome

•Original market had 150 shops•Multi-level mall•Semicircular building held several levels of shops•Main space groin-vaulted•Barrel-vaulted shops•Brick and concrete, marble floors

Ever play “Assassin’s Creed”? If you do, you can play in the Market of Trajan!

Market of Trajan Today

Market of Trajan 100-112 CE

Maison Carree, c. 1 CE, Nimes, France

•Corinthian capitals•Set on high podium•Front entrance emphasized•Walls of cella (main room) pushed out to meet the engaged columns, interior expanded to the maximum size allowed beyond the porch•Greek style with Roman adaptations- entrance indicated by flight of stairs, larger interior

•Used as a model for Jefferson’s State Capitol in Richmond, Virgina

Ara Pacis, 13-9 BCE, ROME

•Altar of Augustan Peace•Exhibits the virtues of peace and its long-lasting effects on society as a whole•Built after Augustus’s return from Gaul•Original altar located so that Egyptian obelisk set in a giant sundial pointed to the open door on the first day of fall

•Two-tier friezes run along walls•Portray the peace and fertile prosperity enjoyed as a result of the peace brought to Rome by Augustus’ military supremacy

Detail of the Processional Frieze showing members of the senate