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Roman Sculpture

Roman Sculpture. Comparative Civilizations 12. Origins of Roman Sculpture. Etruscan sculpture showed similarities to Greek Archaic forms. Origins of Roman Sculpture. Rome was initially under the control of the Etruscans, so its sculpture mirrored that of the dominant society.

JasminFlorian
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Roman Sculpture

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  1. Roman Sculpture Comparative Civilizations 12

  2. Origins of Roman Sculpture • Etruscan sculpture showed similarities to Greek Archaic forms

  3. Origins of Roman Sculpture • Rome was initially under the control of the Etruscans, so its sculpture mirrored that of the dominant society.

  4. Origins of Roman Sculpture • The Greek influence continued long after the Romans eclipsed the Etruscans in the Italian peninsula. • Further Roman expansion came at the cost of Greek colonies in the southern boot and Sicily.

  5. Origins of Roman Sculpture • Copies of Greek masterpieces were popular throughout the Roman period. • In many cases we only know the originals through these copies.

  6. Origins of Roman Sculpture • The Romans did not blindly copy Greek forms. • Their desire to reproduce accurate likenesses of their subjects brought a new realism to the art of sculpture. • This realism was not always flattering.

  7. Origins of Roman Sculpture • The drive for this realism probably lay in Roman ancestor worship. • Most homes maintained shrines to honour their predecessors. • Death masks were often housed in these shrines.

  8. Roman Sculpture • As in Ancient Greece, the Romans glorified important personalities in publicly displayed sculptures. Bust of Julius Caesar

  9. Roman SculpturePortraiture

  10. Roman SculpturePortraiture • Of particular note is the technical prowess of Roman Sculptors who produced such works as this equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

  11. Roman Low Relief Carving • Glorification of public personalities was not limited to portrait busts and statues. • Low relief carving of monumental pillars also boasted the accomplishments of Roman emperors. Base of the Pillar of Antoninus

  12. Roman Low Relief CarvingTrajan’s Column • The most famous carved pillar is Trajan’s column. • A carved spiral frieze extends from the base to the top. • Originally the pillar was topped with a statue of Trajan, which was later replaced with one of St. Peter

  13. Roman Low Relief CarvingTrajan’s Column • Curiously, though the frieze tells the story of Trajan’s exploits in fighting the Dacians, the image cannot be read in its entirety. • The upper sections are simply too high to be seen properly.

  14. Roman Low Relief CarvingTrajan’s Column The spiral frieze. Note the ventilation hole in the right image, allowing light and air to enter the staircase.

  15. Roman Low Relief CarvingTrajan’s Column • It is possible to enter the column and ascend the staircase to an upper platform, but even from here the upper frieze cannot be seen.

  16. Roman Low Relief CarvingTrajan’s Column • As is the case with much ancient sculpture, the carvings were originally painted, though there is little evidence of this in the column that still stands in Rome today.

  17. Roman Low Relief CarvingThe Triumphal Arch • Another popular way of glorifying the exploits of Roman leaders was to construct triumphal arches. The Arch of Constantine

  18. Roman Low Relief CarvingThe Triumphal Arch • Many of these monuments survive in Rome to the present day. • They are decorated with carvings and inscriptions glorifying Roman martial exploits.

  19. Roman Low Relief CarvingThe Triumphal Arch • Curiously, Roman emperors were not above the old Egyptian practice of stealing commemorative decorations from their own predecessors to decorate their own monuments. • Constantine’s arch contains a number of sculptures removed from a monument to the earlier emperor, Hadrian.

  20. Roman Low Relief CarvingThe Ara Pacis • Many experts suggest that the best Roman low relief carving is found in a work from the early imperial period. • This is the Ara Pacis, or Alter of Augustan Peace. • Some reckon it to be the Roman equivalent of Greece’s Parthenon frieze.

  21. Roman Low Relief CarvingThe Ara Pacis

  22. The Christian Era • Even before Christianity became the dominant religion, there was a movement away from realism. • Some argue this reflects a loss of faith in the empire • Is this what we see in the huddled figures of the Four Tetrarchs seen to the right?

  23. The Christian Era • By the mid 4th century, the last realistic Christian sculpture was carved for more than a thousand years. • The Good Shepherd combines Roman realism with Christian symbolism. • The later image of Constantine and St. Michael are typical of the late Roman & Byzantine periods.

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