Where in the World Are We?

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• Where in the World Are We?

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• Where in the World Are We?

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Etruscan ArtThe Forefathers of the Romans
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Etruscans Who?

• Primary Italian society prior to the Roman empire
• Same as Archaic period in Greece
• Much of their culture was adopted by Rome
• Most information comes from their tombs
• Preoccupied with death and superstition
• Rather bloodthirsty
• Invented gladiators

Sacrifice of the Trojan Captives 4th Century BC
(300s)
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Early Funerary Customs

• Cremated and buried their dead
• Created clay urns that would symbolize the dead
  person and keep their spirit from haunting the
  living

Burial Urn - 675-650 BC
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Sarcophagi (Coffins)

• Coffins became more and more elaborate over time

Terracotta (clay) Sarcophagus - 520 BC
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Tomb Decoration

• To get the spirit to remain in the tomb, they
  would make them look as much like a home as
  possible

Burial Chamber 3rd Century BC
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Tomb Fresco

• Scenes depicting everyday Etruscan life
• Dances, festivals, executions, etc.

Ritual Dance Tomb of the Lionesses 480-470 BC
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Later Tombs

• Death become much less fun around the 4th
  Century BC (300s)
• The smiles are gone, replaced by demon figures,
  scary monsters
• Still TERRACOTTA

Sarcophagus - early 300s BC
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Temple Architecture

• Built mostly of clay and wood - stone foundation
  is all that remains
• Cross between a Greek temple and an Etruscan house

Reconstruction of 2nd C. BC Etruscan Temple
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Temple Architecture

• Built mostly of clay and wood - stone foundation
  is all that remains
• Cross between a Greek temple and an Etruscan house

Reconstruction of 2nd C. BC Etruscan Temple
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Architectural Sculpture

• Life-size
• Terracotta
• Note archaic Greek and Mesopotamian influences

Artist Vulcan Apollo - 510 BC
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Bronze Portrait Sculpture

• Romans gradually took over in the 5th and 4th
  centuries BC
• Etruscan minority still produced artwork
• Note toga and imperial gesture

Portrait of Aulus Metellus 80BC
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Etruscan Summary

• Most information/art comes from tombs
• Masters of clay and bronze
• Very superstitious and bloodthirsty
• Combined Greek and Near Eastern styles
• Aesthetic, cultural, and engineering ancestors of
  the Romans

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Art of the Roman Empire
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The Roman Melting Pot

• Like the USA, the Romans assimilated many
  different kinds of people
• Each nation would bring its own artistic styles
• The influences most obvious in Roman art were
• Greece
• Etruria (the Etruscans)
• Egypt
• The Near East (Mesopotamia)

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Aesthetics - Greek and Roman

• Greeks

• Romans

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Aesthetics - Greek and Roman

• Greeks
• Search for ideal beauty

• Romans
• Emphasis on practicality - a good copy was just
  as good

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Aesthetics - Greek and Roman

• Greeks
• Search for ideal beauty
• Pathos

• Romans
• Emphasis on practicality - a good copy was just
  as good
• Entertainment

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Aesthetics - Greek and Roman

• Greeks
• Search for ideal beauty
• Pathos
• Depicted themselves as they wanted to be

• Romans
• Emphasis on practicality - a good copy was just
  as good
• Entertainment
• Emphasized true realism

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Really, Really BIG Buildings
Due to the development of

• Concrete (with brick or marble facade)
• The true arch
• The barrel vault

The Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia 90s B.C.
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The Bath House
Bath house floor mosaic Ostia
The Basilica of Constantine, Rome 310-320 A.D.
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Amazing Public Works

• Bridges
• Roads
• Aqueducts

Pont du Gard, Nimes France
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The Colosseum

• Seating for 50,000!
• Gladiators, executions, mock battles
• Timber flooring with elevators, cages drainage,
  etc. underneath
• Giant awning for shade
• Nautical (sea) battles

Constr. 72-80 A.D.
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Pizzuoili Amphitheater 69-70 AD
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The Pantheon

• Originally a temple to the 7 planetary gods
  (pantheism)
• Now a museum
• Intended to be perfectly balanced
• Based on the circle and square (domed)

118-125 AD
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The Triumphal Arch
The Arch of Constantine 310-320 A.D.
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Commemorative Columns

• The ultimate gravestone
• Low-relief carvings commemorate specific events

The Column of Trajan 106-113 A.D. - Def. of
Romanians 125 ft. tall - 625 ft. of carvings
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Roman Sculpture
Two main categories

• Imperial
• Designed to make the ruler into something
  superhuman/godlike
• Idealized
• Simple portraiture
• True realism - tried to capture the sitters real
  appearance

Augustus of Primaporta 20 BC
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• Note
• - contraposto

Augustus of Primaporta
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Note - contraposto - imperial gesture
Augustus of Primaporta
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Head of Constantine
Octavius depicted as Mercury
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Portrait Sculpture

• Very popular for anyone with the money to pay
• Literally mapped the face of the sitter

Emperor Philippus (the Arab) 244-249 AD
Emperor Vespasian - 75AD
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Ancestor Portraits

• Like a three-dimensional family album

Portrait head examples - Vatican Museum
Patrician with busts of his ancestors - 30BC
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Roman Mosaic

• Mosaic - image created using small pieces of
  colored marble inlaid into the plaster surface

The Battle of Issus - copy of Greek painting -
9x17 (Alexander the Great defeating the
Persians) Awesome COMPOSITION
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Composition

• The purposeful arrangement of shapes
• To direct the attention of the viewer
• To add direction/drama
• To reinforce an idea

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Domestic Painting (Fresco)

• To decorate, entertain, or make the house appear
  bigger

House in Herculaneum - 79 AD
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Phony Gardens
20 BC
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Mythological Scenes, Phony Cupboards or Textures
Venus and Amor
Still Life - 50 AD
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Ritual Scenes

• Roman TV

Scenes from the Villa of Mysteries -
Pompeii Illustrations of cult rituals
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Pompeii and Herculaneum
79 AD
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Late Roman Painting

• Egypto-Roman portrait painting
• Utilized Encaustic
• Pigment suspended in hot WAX
• Painted on wood panel

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Classical Art

• Term used to describe art and architecture that
  uses elements originating with the Greeks and
  Romans

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Classical Art

• Term used to describe art and architecture that
  uses elements originating with the Greeks and
  Romans
• Sculpture
• Togas, drapery
• Pathos
• Idealized human forms

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Classical Art

• Term used to describe art and architecture that
  uses elements originating with the Greeks and
  Romans
• Sculpture
• Togas, drapery
• Pathos
• Idealized human forms

• Architecture
• Fluted columns
• Arches
• Post lintel