APAH 2006-07 List 8

ROMAN ART

“From Seven Hills to Three Continents: The Art of Ancient Rome”

(Chapter 6: 245-299)

The Republic 2^nd c. BCE-27BCE

Architecture

Temple of “Fortuna Virilis” (Temple of Portunus), Rome, ca. 75 BCE (10-2)

Connect to ETRUSCAN temples; contrast to Greek for the following:

Single set of steps to enter;

Building rises from podium;

Walls of cella brought out to limit of podium so there is no row of free-standing columns on the side, but engaged columns.

Temple of Vesta, Tivoli, early 1^st c. BCE (10-2)

Round temple;

Concrete walls of cella.

Reconstruction drawing of the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, Palestrina Italy late 2^nd c. BCE (10-4)

Early use of CONCRETE combined with arch and vault construction.

CONCRETE: the big invention of the Romans, made of lime mortar, water, and volcanic dust of central Italy (pozzolana), which is poured over rubble [little irregular stones]

Sculpture

The Romans are known for sculpted portraits. The style and interest in them seem to have been directed by their funerary practices.

Funerary relief with portraits of the Gessii, Rome ca. 30BCE (10-5)

Head of a Roman patrician ca. 75-50 BCE (10-7) VERISM

Portrait of a Roman general ca 75-50 BCE (10-8)

Denarius with portrait of Julius Caesar 44BCE (10-9)

Pompeii

Pompeii forum aerial view plan, and amphitheatre (10-10,11)

Brawl in the Pompeii amphitheatre wall painting from Pompeii (10-12)

Atrium of the House of the Vettii, Pompeii (10-13)

Painting

Roman painting is categorized in 4 styles of painting. These styles often overlap with one another. Do not try to learn each style at this point.

Remains of Roman painting are found at Pompeii and Herculaneum, covered in the ash of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 69 CE. Additionally, some paintings have been found in Rome, Primaporta, Boscoreale, and Boscotrecase.

Roman painting is distinguishable by the ILLUSIONISTIC techniques that are found also in Roman imperial reliefs.

First Style (Masonry style) wall painting in the Samnite House, Herculaneum (10-14)

Surfaces meant to resemble marble were present in the Greek world from the 4^th c. BCE). Some stucco relief used.

Dionysiac mystery frieze, Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii (10-15) (2^nd style is a trompe l’oeil style, native to Italy, no stucco relief used, just flat walls painted to fool the eye into believing in the reality of the painted forms and settings); frieze 5’4” high

Cubiculum M of the Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor, Boscreale (10-16)

Although not correctly used here, LINEAR PERSPECTIVE was a device invented and used by Roman painters of this period.

Gardenscape from the Villa of Livia, Primaporta (10-17) 6’7” high

Trompe l’oeil “Picture window wall” Much less architecture present; atmospheric perspective; wall as repoussoir; connect to the Vergilian Arcadian myth.

Third Style Wall painting from Villa of Agrippa Postumus, Boscotrecase (10-18) Third style is not trompe l’oeil, instead imaginary architectural elements frame small landscapes; scenes painted on walls made to look like framed compositions. Connect subjects in this style to the Vergilian Arcadian myth and Horace.

Old farmer of Corycus,

Vatican Vergil ca. 400 (10-19) oldest persevered illuminated ms.

Room 78 of the Domus Aurea of Nero (10-20) (Fourth style—reappearance of illusionism, around 62 CE, with some aspects of third style; fragmented architectural views)

Ixion Room from the House of the Vettii (Fourth style—“crowding” and “confusion;” elements of the other styles present,including illusionism and masonry effects without stucco—an extreme version here)

Neptune and Amphitrite, early wall mosaic, Herculaneum (10-22)

Use of glass paste (smalto) which produces strong colors.

Portrait of a husband and wife, Pompeii (10-23) attributes suggesting education; individualized faces; 2’ x 9”

Still life with peaches, Herculaneum (10-24) (from a 4^th style painting) LIGHT

Battle of Issus, from Pompeii (5-69) copy of c. 310 Hellenistic mosaic

The Early Empire 27BCE-192 CE

Sculpture

Augustus of Primaporta (10-25) 6’8”

Idealized portrait of August, 1^st emperor. Based on the physique and stance of Doryphoros, Augustus is shown young and strong. His armor shows a scene of military victory. His raised arm suggests a statesman making a speech. The putto (winged baby) at his heel is a reference to Cupid, like Aeneas, a child of Venus. Aeneas is the legendary founder of Rome. (Augustus commissioned Vergil to write the Aeneid.)

Livia (10-26) also idealized

Ara pacis Augustae(Altar of Peace of Augustus) (10-27)

Tellus relief from the east façade of the Ara Pacis (10-28) interest in Classical Greek sculpture evident. 5’3” high

Procession of the imperial family, south frieze, Ara Pacis (10-29) Pictorial qualities of relief space. 5’3” high

Portrait of Vespasian (10-35) 1’4”

Portrait bust of Flavian woman (10-36) 2’1”

Arch of Titus (10-37)

Spoils of Jerusalem (10-38) 7’10” high

Triumph of Titus (10-39) 7’10” high

Both reliefs of the Arch of Titus glorify imperial accomplishment. The possess the greatest illusion of movement and space (as in ambiance, especially the Spoils relief; greater variety in degrees of relief. In The Triumph the immortal mingle with the human.

Architecture

Maison Carree, Nimes, France (10-30)

Roman architects/engineers were the great innovators of the ancient world employing arches, vaults, and domes on a huge scale. Their use of CONCRETE allowed the creation of an ARCHITECTURE OF SPACE in which no vertical supports interrupt the flow of the interior space.

Pont-du-Gard, Nimes, France (10-31)

Use of arches, a departure from the post and lintel system. Engineers calculated the necessary angle which assured a steady flow of water.

Dressed-stone masonry (called ashlar masonry); built with the use of timber centering (also called formwork)

Porta Maggiore, Rome, Italy (10-32) rusticated masonry

Octagonal Hall of the Domus Aurea, Severus and Celer, (10-33)

Built during the reign of Nero, it is the first example of CONCRETE used to create space moulding domes and vaults.

Colosseum (10-34) also called the Flavian amphitheatre

It was an amphitheater built for violent “games” like gladiatorial combat.

Exterior has the decorative use of architectural orders. Arches and piers do the job of holding up the building—not the engaged columns. (In Greek architecture the columns support the load, and it isn’t much.)

END OF MATERIAL FOR FIRST QUIZ

START OF MATERIAL FOR SECOND QUIZ Tuesday, November 28

The High Empire 27BCE-192 CE

(yes, I know it’s the same dates as the Early Empire)

Architecture

Forum of Trajan, model, aerial view, interior of great hall (10-41, 42, 43,44)

Apollodorus of Damascus; also Trajan’s column—see under sculpture

Arch of Trajan, Benevento, Italy (10-45)

Pantheon, aerial view, exterior, drawing, interior (10-48, 49, 50) large scale version of innovations first made in Octagonal Hall of the Domus Aurea

Hadrian’s Villa Canopus and Serapeum, Tivoli (10-51)

Al-Khazneh (“Treasury’) (10-52) Petra, Jordan tomb façade 130’ high; “disregard for classical rules” as at Hadrian’s villa before and Baalbek and Split later.

Model of an insula, Ostia (10-53); painted ceiling (10-54); floor mosaic of baths (10-55)

Sculpture

Column of Trajan (10-42) 128’ historiated column with 625’ of reliefs, originally painted; campaign against Dacians

Funerary relief of a circus official, Ostia (10-46) 1’8”high; early example of a continuous narration; non-elite style, i.e. disregard for illusionism of early empire.

Portrait bust of Hadrian (10-47) 2’11”

Funerary reliefs of vegetable vendor and a midwife (10-56)

Apotheosis of Antoninus Pius and Faustina, pedestal of the Column of Antoninus Pius (10-57)

Decursio, pedestal of the Column of Antoninus Pius (10-58)

Marcus Aurelius (10-59) 11’6” tall

Portrait of Marcus Aurelius, from a lost arch (10-60)

Sarcophagus with the myth of Orestes (10-61) 2’8” high

Asiatic sarcophagus with kline portrait of a woman (10-62) 5’7” high; from Asia Minor, indicated by Greek gods and heroes housed in arches; kline means bed and recalls Etruscan sarcophagi.

Painting

Mummy portrait of a man, Faiyum, Egypt (10-63)

The Late Roman Empire 193-337

(p.289-299)

Painting and Sculpture

Painted portrait of Septimius Severus and his family Egypt (10-64) 1’2” diameter

Portrait of Caracalla (10-65) reappearance of realism in the age of anxiety. 1’2”

Arch of Septimius Severus, Lepcis Magna (in Libya)--

Chariot procession of Septimius Severus (10-66) 5’6” high; contrast to Arch of Titus: stillness rather than motion; vertical perspective (more extreme than in Trajan's Column)

Portrait of Trajan Decius (10-69) 2’7”

soldier emperor; age of anxiety realism

Heroic Portrait of Trebonianus Gallus (10-70) bronze; 7’11”

heroic nudity; non-classical body and how

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus -

Battle of the Romans and barbarians (10-71) c. 250 5’high

Non-classical (early imperial) style: no illusion of space; piling up of figures; emblem of Mithras on forehead

Sarcophagus of a philosopher (10-72) 4’11” influence of early imperial relief style ; motif of philosopher adapted for Christian sarcophagi.

Tetrarchs

porphyry (10-74) 4’3” lack of individual identity; disproportionately large, cubic heads; schematic treatment of drapery and bodies; high reliefs; rejection of both idealization derived from Greek classicism and realism.

Arch of Constantine (10-76)

Hadrianic Medallions (look online)

Frieze of distribution of largess (10-77 and look online) Constantine shown with statues of Marcus Aurelius and Hadrian; 3’4” high

similar proportions of figures to those of Tetrarchs; repetition of forms; shallow relief; formalism; conventionalization; flat; non-illusionistic.

Portrait of Constantine (10-78) 8’6”

brick core, bronze-covered wooden torso, marble head, arms, legs; held orb; frontality; modeled on Jupiter; set up in western apse of Basilica of Constantine (Basilica Nova); connect to Christianity and transcendent ruler.

Architecture

Baths of Caracalla (10-67, 68)

Plan

Reconstruction drawing of central hall (frigidarium)

Baths were a recreational complex popular with the Romans as places of relaxation and business. Emperors built them to be popular with the people. There were different rooms for different temperatures of water. The baths were supplied with water by its own aqueduct.

The frigidarium was covered with GROIN (or Cross) VAULTS which allow for lighter construction and the presence of windows.

A CROSS VAULT is formed by the intersection of 2 barrel vaults at a 90 angles. The thrust of the vault is channeled to the groins (lines of intersection) and down to the ground via heavy piers which usually have external buttresses. (There is no need to buttress the entire wall as in a barrel vault.) So, the walls of the groin vaulted structure do not have to be as thick or solid.

Temple of Venus at Baalbek (Lebanon) (10-73)

non-classical elements: scalloped platform; 5 sided Corinthian capitals, pentagonal bases; scalloped entablature; facade arch with triangular pediment.

Palace of Diocletian at Split (Croatia)

Model (10-75)

Complex covers 10 acres and was set up like a Roman army camp with similar organization and fortifications.

Non-classical architectural elements

Creation on grand scale of arcuated system: columns support arches; first seen in Hadrian's Tivoli Villa c. 130 (10-51) where pairs of Corinthian columns support arches.

Also like the Temple of Venus at Baalbek (10-73) there is an arch set into the pediment.

Villa of Piazza Armerina, Sicily

Rambling and symmetrical plan

7000 sq ft. of mostly floor mosaics

Africa continuation of classical style with modeled forms and shadows; importance of setting.

Basilica Nova (aka Basilica of Constantine which Maxentius had actually begun) Rome (10-79)

Exceptional design of a basilica--contrast to Basilica Ulpia which is much lighter.

Brick-faced concrete walls 20ft. thick supporting groin vault over central area (nave) 115 ft. tall and transverse barrel vaults over the aisles. Total dimensions 300 ft x 215 ft.

Audience Hall(Aula Palatina) Trier, Germany (10-80, 81) 190 ft x 95 ft.

Huge windows in heavily reinforced building; brick exterior; heavily buttressed walls although the interior has flat coffered ceiling. Apse at end separated from longitudinal interior by triumphal arch. Mosaic and marble ornamentation of walls in the apse.

Influential on design of Early Christian basilicas.