Roman Art and Architecture

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Roman Art and Architecture
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Influence

• Influence on modern buildings and college
  campuses
• Influence on political propaganda
• Influence on construction and engineering

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Concrete

• Invented by Romans
• Made of lime, sand, stones, and water
• Less expensive than imported marble
• Covered with stucco
• Can create different shapes than with marble
• e.g. vaults, domes

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The Arch - vaults

• Types of vaults

Barrel vault
Dome rotated arch
Groin vault
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Sculpture

• Portraits
• Expression of social class
• In Republic, only heads shown
• In Greece, full body
• Julius Caesar put own image on coins

Caesar
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Pompeii

• 79 a.d. Pompeii destroyed by eruption of the
  volcano Vesuvius

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• Excavation reveals forum, amphitheathers,
  frescoes

Fresco (painting on wet plaster)
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Pax Romana (27 b.c. 180 a.d.)

• Civic Architecture roads, bridges, forums,
  temples, theaters, amphitheaters, baths

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Augustus

• Imperial portraits everywhere used to mold
  public opinion
• All images showed him as young
• Inspired by Classical Greece more than Roman
  Republic

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Image of Augustus

• Symbolism cupid, story on chest plate
• Used marble
• Found a city of brick and turned it into a city
  of marble
• More expensive material

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Roman Aqueducts

• Although the Romans are considered the greatest
  aqueduct builders of the ancient world, quanta
  systems were in use in ancient Persia, India,
  Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries
  hundreds of years earlier.
• These systems utilized tunnels tapped into
  hillsides that brought water for irrigation to
  the plains below.
• The elaborate system that served the capital of
  the Roman Empire, however, remains a major
  engineering achievement. Over a period of 500
  years--from 312 BC to AD 226--11 aqueducts were
  built to bring water to Rome from as far away as
  57 miles.Some of these aqueducts are still in
  use.
• Only a portion of Rome's aqueduct system actually
  crossed over valleys on stone arches, the rest
  were underground.
• Water flowed to the city by the force of gravity
  alone and usually went through a series of
  distribution tanks within the city.
• Roman aqueducts were built throughout the empire,
  and their arches may still be seen in Greece,
  Italy, France, Spain, North Africa, and Asia
  Minor.

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Pont du Gard
Aqueduct (in France)
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The Colosseum
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• Built by Emperor Vespasian (70-72 a.d.)
• Anti-Nero on land reclaimed from a swamp
• Engineering marvel
• 160 feet tall 50,000 capacity could be flooded
  for naval re-enactments lifts and substructures
  velarium shielded people from sun marble seats
  could exit in 5 minutes

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Capitals of columns inspired by Greek columns
Ionic

• Doric

Corinthian
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Arch of Titus (circa 70 a.d.)

• Celebrate Tituss victory over Judea and
  construction, too
• Included bronze statues
• Time when Senate made all dead emperors gods

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The Pantheon (118-125)

• The Roman Pantheon is the largest un-reinforced
  solid concrete dome in the world. It was built by
  the emperor Hadrian almost 2,000 years ago.

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The Pantheon (118-125)

• One of most influential designs in architectural
  history
• Used concrete lighter materials and coffered
  ceiling in roof
• 8 Corinthian columns
• Dome 142 feet in diameter / 142 feet from top
  to bottom
• Oculus 30 foot wide hole in ceiling
• Largest dome in ancient world

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Trajan

• Forum of Trajan (103) - built by Trajan twice
  as large as Augustuss

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• Column of Trajan (113)
• 128 feet tall
• Narrative frieze 625 feet long mostly shows
  military preparations
• Frieze widens at top

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• Arch of Trajan (114-115) like a billboard

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• Arch of Constantine (315)
• Used pieces of other arches and sculptures

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Greek Influence

• What Greek influence do you see in Roman Art?