Ancient Roman Culture

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Ancient Roman Culture Art History

• 6th Grade Art Introduction to Art
• Ms. McDaniel

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Ancient Roman Vocabulary

• 1. Ludi 8. Papyrus
• 2. Mosaic 9. Relief
• 3. Arch 10. Amphitheater
• 4. Aqueduct
• 5. Fresco
• 6. Murals
• 7. Etruscan

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Timeline of Ancient Rome

• Previous BC in Italy Etruscan civilization
• 753BC Legendary Founding of Rome by Romulus
• 510BC Etruscans are overthrown Rome rises
• 510-44BC Roman Republic
• 27BC 476AD Roman Empire
• (Roman art was at its height from 750BC 410AD)

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Critical Culture Questions

• Weve studied Egyptian Art History previously,
  they had a unique art style why was their style
  so different than the rest of the world?
• What were some of the Egyptian innovations we
  studied? Do we still use their innovations in our
  daily life now? The Romans came along much later,
  how do you think their innovations influenced us?
• How does the Roman culture influence us today?
• From the dates we know Roman art started and when
  Egyptian art ended, was there any overlap?
• The Romans had running water how were they able
  to achieve this?

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Why is Ancient Rome Important Today?

• 1. Their architecture style is still used today
• 2. They made many important inventions
• 3. Had an established government like ours
• 4. Modern democratic nations have used Rome as a
  model for nation building
• 5. They spoke Latin basis for our modern
  language (all scientific names are in Latin)
• 6. They made significant strides in realistic art
  which we still use today.

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Where was Ancient Rome located?

• Rome is located in Italy but the Roman Empire
  spread throughout a large part of modern-day
  Europe through conquering territories.

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Ancient Roman Culture

• Brutal, efficient military Were called the
  Roman War Machine - largely considered to be the
  most efficient military in history.
• Government was very organized Roman citizens
  operated under many laws much like our society
  today
• Extremely organized had huge roadway system
  consisted of over 50,000 miles of roads all
  systematically laid out (All roads lead to
  Rome)
• Loved entertainment The Coliseum was built for
  huge entertainment held 50,000 spectators

The ancient Romans used papyrus a term that may
sound familiar
Papyrus Natural Egyptian paper used throughout
the ancient world
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Ancient Roman Innovations

• Aqueduct
• Arch
• Roads
• Public Baths Sewers
• Concrete
• Apartment Blocks

Ancient Romans were instrumental in inventing
concepts that we use today
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Aqueducts

• Aqueducts were used throughout the Roman Empire
  to carry clean water to the many towns. This was
  one of the most important inventions in ancient
  Rome. This aqueduct is still standing today.

Aqueduct An artificial channel for carrying
water (used gravity to their advantage
water flows downward)
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Roman Arches
Arch - A curved structure made of stone which
supports or strengthens a building.

• Most arches consist of wedge-shaped blocks. The
  top center stone, called the keystone, is the
  last block to be inserted. During construction,
  arches are often supported by a wooden frame.
  When the frame is removed, both sides of the arch
  press against the keystone and thereby support
  the arch.

The Romans were the first to use the arch in
large-scale architecture.
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Roman Baths

• Romans liked to keep clean. They liked to bathe
  at least once a day. But most people did not have
  individual baths in their houses. Instead, they
  went to large public baths, where they could
  relax, meet friends and exercise as well as
  bathe.
• Water for the baths was heated in a tank, much
  like our modern water heaters, then piped into a
  basin heated by a furnace under the floor.

Although fond of bathing, the Romans were not
familiar with soap. In order to get clean, they
would oil up, then scrape the oil and dirt off
together with a metal tool called a strigil.
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Roman Plumbing

• For the first time in history, the Romans had a
  comprehensive plumbing system. Gravity-based,
  many homes had running water, which was
  unprecedented. The water also flowed for
  fountains and waste systems. There were large
  sewer tunnels.

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Concrete

• Composed of lime or gypsum, water and rubble
  stones, concrete was revolutionary to the Ancient
  Romans and allowed them to build massive
  structures for much cheaper than the traditional
  marble stone that the Greeks utilized.

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Apartment Blocks

• Romans were able to build high-rise apartment
  buildings however, they relied on gravity-based
  water flow systems so the first floors had access
  to water, but the top floors were tiny, single
  rooms with no access to water. The richer you
  were, the lower you lived.

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Ancient Roman Artwork

• Portrait Sculptures
• Statues
• Relief Sculptures
• Painting
• Mosaics
• Architecture

Ancient Roman art really began around 500 BC with
the beginning of the Roman Republic
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Where did they get their style?

• The Ancient Romans were influenced by many
  different cultures over their reign. They were
  introduced to new cultures and concepts while
  they conquered new lands. Two of their major
  influences were

The Etruscans
The Etruscans were inhabitants of ancient Italy
before the rise of the Roman Empire. When the
Romans came in and overtook or assimilated the
inhabitants, they were influenced by their art
style.
The Greeks
Romans began conquering Greece around 200BC and
thats when their art styles changed a lot. They
viewed the Greek art in temples and peoples home
and either stole it or bought it. They liked it
so much that sometimes they brought back Greek
sculptorseither paid or as slaves.
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How was their style influenced?
The Etruscans

• Used realism
• Used archways
• Developed casting sculptures in bronze
• Had sophisticated architecture practices

The Greeks

• Used complicated patterns
• Sculpted free form figures
• Had a complex system of gods and goddesses
• Pretty much all of the Greek art was simply
  copied or altered

The Romans used all of these ideas in their
artwork
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Ancient RomanSculpture
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Greek Copies

• Romans loved Greek artwork, at first they
  copied the sculptures almost exactly but they
  were never able to figure out how to make the
  figures free-standing
• - All Roman copies of Greek sculpture can be
  identified by a tree trunk or a stand holding the
  figure upright.

• Greek sculptors were only interested in
  sculpting perfection - most beautiful male or the
  most physically fit male.

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Greek Copies (contd)

• In the beginning of Roman sculpture, they copied
  the Greek style of sculpting human perfection.
  All statues are what were considered the ultimate
  achievement in beauty/and or fitness.

• Much of the early Roman artwork was about Greek
  mythologyor the Roman equivalent of their
  mythology

• - Roman gods were Greek gods with different names
  and different characteristics

Jupiter
akaZeus
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New Style Developments
As the civilization matured, the Romans began to
develop their own artistic style

• - Highly developed sense of realism sculptures
  had wrinkles, bulges and could be agedthe Greeks
  would never do that.
• Lots of portraits they believed that it was
  important to keep the ghost happy after it
  departed or it would haunt you.
• As the Roman War Machine marched on, they came
  upon new ideas Around 200AD, they warred with
  the Germans which gave them a bloodlust art was
  much more brutal
• As more Christians came into the empire, their
  style changed There was more concern for the
  soul eyes were more expressive, the body was
  less important, we see a step away from realism
  (Realism further deteriorates as Christianity
  takes over in the Middle Ages)

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Roman Sculptures - Realism
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Roman Sculptures - Portraits
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Roman Sculptures Harsher Styles
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Roman Sculptures Christian Influence
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Roman Sculptures Relief Sculptures
The Romans also used relief sculptures for
political influence and celebrations of
victories.
Relief Sculpture that is raised from its flat
background
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Roman Architecture
The Ancient Romans were masters of architecture
the designing and erecting of buildings. Some of
the structures they built were

• Forums - squares which were surrounded by
  temples, shops, and basilicas
• Basilicas - public buildings
• Baths
• Markets - a five story complex housing shops,
  bars and restaurants
• Amphitheaters - such as the Colosseum and the
  Circus Maximus
• Theatres
• Triumphal arches - celebrating the victories of
  the Romans
• Villas
• Temples
• Roads
• Forts and Stockades
• Towns
• Aqueducts

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Roman Architecture The Coliseum
One of the most impressive pieces of ancient
Roman architecture is the Coliseum. Built for
entertainment purposes in 80AD, it can house
50,000 spectators. The Ancient Romans loved their
entertainment which was usually very violent.

• Arena is actually a latin word for sand (used to
  soak up the blood of the combatants)
• The floor of the Coliseum was dual level one
  level for the entertainers to perform and a level
  below to hold the acts
• Charioteers are usually slaves if they are
  successful, they become superstars
• The loser is at the public mercy a thumbs up
  sign means that the loser can live. A thumbs
  down sign means death.

Ludi Games in Ancient Rome chariot races,
theatrical performances, gladiator fights, mock
sea battles wild beast shows
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Roman Architecture The Coliseum
Coliseum Now
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Roman Architecture The Coliseum
Inside of Coliseum
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Roman Architecture The Coliseum
Ancient Times
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Roman Architecture Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus was the biggest and most
important stadium in Rome. It held over 250,000
people. (One quarter of Romes population) It was
originally made of wood, but the emperors Titus
and Trajan had it rebuilt in concrete, brick and
stone.

• The Circus Maximus was 623 yards long and 153
  yards wide.
• A charioteer slave could purchase their freedom
  with prize money. Some became very rich and
  famous.
• Much like our sports today, the chariot races
  were divided into teams. The spectators got very
  into supporting their team, sometimes at the cost
  of spectator deaths.

Amphitheater Oval-shaped theater designed for
entertainment such as gladiator fighting
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Roman Architecture Circus Maximus
Ancient Times
Today
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Critical Culture Questions 2

• How is architecture related to art and the
  concepts weve been discussing this entire year?
• How were the Romans able to construct their
  massive structures without the aid of modern
  machinery?
• Do we see these types of construction elements
  today?
• What are the advantages of roads? What gives them
  their usefulness? They didnt have cars so are
  there other reasons for the significance of a
  pathway that is not made of dirt only?
• Since the Ancient Roman Empire was so large, how
  did it affect their artwork?

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Other Roman Artwork - Frescoes
Fresco wall paintings made to look like marble
paint applied to wet plaster
The Ancient Romans used frescoes in their homes.
Frescoes lasted much longer than traditional
paintings because the technique of applying paint
to wet plaster essentially preserved the picture.

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Other Roman Artwork - Murals
Mural large wall painting
Murals were used in large spaces, such as a large
villa or a palace.
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Other Roman Artwork - Mosaics
Romans were particularly skilled at mosaics
small colored pebbles cut down to flat pieces
assembled to create a picture. They were able to
achieve very realistic pictures using mosaics.
Many Roman mosaics are still well-preserved.
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Other Roman Artwork - Friezes
Frieze Long patterned band or picture used to
decorate a wall
Romans used friezes to decorate temples and walls
they are relief sculptures. They are used to
depict scenes of war, daily life or religion.
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How Do We Know?
We have a vast knowledge of the artwork and
culture of Ancient Rome because of the
preservation of the city of Pompeii.

• In 79AD, the volcano Mount Vesuvius blew, which
  buried the prosperous town of Pompeii besides the
  Bay of Naples in lava and ash.
• The city never recovered and was forgotten over
  time.
• In 1748, the city was excavated, in perfect
  preserved condition.

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How Do We Know?
Since ash buried the entire city, including the
insides of homes, the frescoes, mosaics and style
of life was suspended in perfect condition. This
includes the remains of the people caught in the
pyroclastic blast. The preserved remains have
provided a large insight into the daily life and
art of Ancient Romans.
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Critical Culture Questions 3

• The Romans were a historically significant
  military machine they are often regarded as the
  greatest warriors in history. Do you think they
  might use their artwork to influence their
  citizens? Do you see that now?
• As we discussed, when Christianity grew in the
  Roman Empire, skill began to decline. We know
  that Christianity really takes over much of the
  land further on in history past the Roman Empire,
  do you think the skill of realism fades further
  the heavier the Christian influence grows? Why?
• The Greeks cared only about the pinnacle of human
  achievement and perfectionthe Romans were more
  concerned with realismdo you feel that this made
  their society more successful?
• How do you think the longevity of the Egyptian
  artwork compares to the Roman artwork? Although
  the Egyptian artwork has been around longer, both
  have lasted longer than 2000 years. In your
  opinion, who was the most successful? Why?