Title: Roman Sculpture
1Roman Sculpture
2- Is there such a thing as a Roman style of
sculpture? - Romans have reputation as imitators- copied many
Greek sculptures, vast quantities of work are
adaptations and variations of Greek models - Roman demand for sculpture was high- attributed
to ANTIQUARIANISM (the love of antiquities) and
their desire for interior design- Greek and
Egyptian copied were in vogue at the time - The slides that follow focus on wholly Roman
subjects- portraiture and narrative relief
3- Republican Sculpture
- Political and military heroes were honored by
having their statues put on public display - Found in Etruscan territory
- This gesture reoccurs in hundreds of Roman
statues - Artist was probably Etruscan, but worked in the
Roman style - Very, serious, factual in detail(tied shoelaces)
Aulus Metellus, early 1st c., Bronze
4- Unmistakable purely Roman style of portraits
- Detailed record of facial topography
- Designed not to bring out emotion like Hellenic
sculpture, but to show a Roman personality-rugged,
stern, iron-willed, authoritative - Roman custom- at death, a waxen image was taken
of the head of the family, this was then
preserved in a special shrine in the house- none
remain - Towards the 1st century BC, as the Republican era
waned, people felt the need to record these
images in stone, to prove their ancient lineage
Portrait of a Roman, c.80 BC
5- Shows the tradition of Roman with these busts
- The wax images werent works of art- they were
just copies of the face-when they were put into
marble, the faces took on a spiritual quality - The waxes were often copied in marble many
times-uniqueness was not an important Roman goal
Roman Patrician with Bust of his Ancestors, 1st
c. BC
6- Imperial Sculpture--
- Portrait sculptures become more god-like
- The idea of the divine ruler (Egypt and Near
East) has returned!! - Has common Roman pose
- Idealized figure and face
- Realistic surface detail
- inspired glance
- Does have a definite likeness, when compared with
other Augustus portraits - Emperors likeness was reproduced so many times,
that it became a national emblem
Augustus of Prima Porta, c.20BC
7Ara Pacis, c.13-9 BC
- Narrative relief was also popular- to commemorate
emperors achievements - This had not been done in Greece- no specific
historic events were recorded - Ara Pacis- Augustus preferred to be depicted as a
defender of peace rather than as a military hero - Monumental frieze depicts allegorical and
legendary scenes
8Ara Pacis detail
- Has a Hellenistic, classicist style
- Procession of a concrete event- the founding of
the altar in 13 BC - People depicted are meant to be portraits
- Great concern for spatial depth
9Spoils from the Temple in Jerusalem, Arch of
Titus, 81 AD
- Arch erected in 81 AD to commemorate the
victories of Emperor Titus - Idea of movement is successfully portrayed-shows
the procession moving away from the viewer
10- The purposes of Imperial art sometimes were
incompatible with a realistic treatment of space - Commemorated Trajans victories over the Dacians
(ancient Romanians) - Free standing columns were used as monuments
since Hellenic times - Continuous spiral band of relief documents the
history of the war - Column was originally topped with a statue that
was destroyed in the Middle Ages - Band of relief is 656 Ft long- can only follow
the relief if the viewer keeps turning around and
the detail disappears as the column gets taller - Rarely shows actual combat-more attention to
geography and politics - Similar to Near East reliefs, although unclear if
there is a link
Column of Trajan, Rome, 106-13 AD
11- Production of portraits was vast in Imperial Rome
- Vespasian did not really believe in the idea of
the divine ruler - There is a Republican flavor to the portrait
- Focus on skin and texture is very Greek
Vespasian, 75 AD
12Graceful and gentle, softness of skin and detail
of fashionable hair
Portrait of a Lady c. 90 AD
13- Portrait has emotional intensity-a combination of
Greek pathos and Roman nobility - Seen in strong brow, commanding gaze
- Conformed to the Roman tradition of being
clean-shaven-after this, emperors wore beards to
depict Hellenic tradition
Trajan, 100 AD
14- Statue reflects the reign of Marcus Aurelius who
was very interested in classical Greek philosophy - One of the few Roman sculptures to remain on
public view through out the Middle Ages - Equestrian statues had been a tradition since
Julius Caesar - Marcus Aureilius saw himself as a bringer of Peace
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, 161-180
15- 3rd century saw the empire in constant crisis
- Emperors were soldier emperors- from outlying
provinces - Emperors gained the throne through force
- This is reflected in the portraits- a different
mood- more emotional, less documentary - Plontius was a Greek philosopher who was very
mystical - There was a spread of Oriental Mystery cults that
foreshadowed the middle ages rather than
reflecting Classicist tradition
Portrait Head (Plontius) late 3rd C. BC
16- First Christian ruler of Rome
- Portraiture has become more symbolic than
realistic- a visible symbol of the spiritual self - Statue does not show us what Constantine looked
like, but what he thought about himself and his
office
Constantine the Great, early 4th C. AD
17- Decorated with sculpture taken from earlier
Imperial monuments- probably because of the poor
conditions of the sculpture studios at the time - Also shows that Constantine saw himself as the
restorer of Roman glory
Arch of Constantine, Rome, 312-15 AD
18Frieze, Arch of Constantine, early 4th c.
- Made specifically for the arch (not taken from
elsewhere) - Shows Constantine addressing the Senate- no sense
of movement, no spatial depth, no foreshortening,
shallow doll-like figures, no contrapposto - Abstracted on purpose- symmetrical to show the
importance of the emperor in the center the only
figure to be shown full-frontal (although head
has been knocked off)- looks forward to Christian
art- does not revert back to archaic sculpture