Who Inspired the Roman in Terms of Art and Literature

April 29, 2022 Post a Comment

Roman Art and Compages

Revd Professor Martin Henig MA, DPhil, DLitt, FSA; Fellow member, Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford, and Honorary Visiting Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, Academy College London

View from Coliseum showing Arch of Constantine, Palatine Hill, Arch of Titus, Nero's Temple, etc., Rome (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division); photograph credit: Moffett Studio, 1909

The Romans originated in central Italy, influenced by other local Italian cultures, notably those of Etruria, but from the fifth century they came into contact with the Greeks and from then onwards, the Roman republic absorbed many aspects of first Classical and so Hellenistic art. Nonetheless it never lost its distinctive character, especially notable in such fields as architecture, portraiture, and historical relief. From about the 1st century BC, the rapid expansion of the Roman Empire brought Graeco-Roman art to many parts of Europe, North Africa and nearer Asia assuasive the development of myriad provincial arts, ranging eventually from Northern Britain to the Sahara and from Spain to Arabia.

The architectural legacy of Rome is especially widespread. Beyond the traditional nature of the Roman temple, characterised past its high podium with prominent archway at one end simply, Roman architecture is characterised by its ready adoption of Hellenistic planning and a daring use of new materials, such as brick and particularly physical leading to the stupendous structures such as the great Thermae of Rome and indeed in the provinces, the Pantheon in Rome, and ultimately Justinian's church of Sancta Sophia in Constantinople.

Marble portrait of the emperor Caracalla, marble, h. 362 mm, Roman, c. 212–217 AD (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1940, Accession ID: 40.11.1a); image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Marble portrait of the emperor Caracalla, marble, h. 362 mm, Roman, c. 212–217 Advertisement (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1940, Accession ID: forty.11.1a); image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A central aspect of Roman public art was the commemoration of important individuals, and the after Republic is a period of hitting portraits of leading Romans, partly following native veristic traditions of portraiture and partly influenced by Hellenistic interest in physiognomy. Under the Empire, portrait busts of ancestors—equally well as of the now anointed emperors—graced buildings both public and private. Copies and adaptations of famous Greek sculptures were also numerous in houses, temples, baths, and theatres, and they were designed to provide a frisson of culture to what were brash and sometimes vulgar displays of power and wealth. Nether the Empire in particular, reliefs depicting the achievements of the Emperors graced commemorative arches (such equally the Arch of Titus) and columns (notably Trajan'southward Column), providing a sort of visual counterpart to the literary accounts of historians. These aspects of celebration can exist seen on a miniature scale on the plentiful and beautiful Roman coinage, where many of the best portraits can exist seen, as well as a broad range of imagery, both divine and documentary.

Didrachm of Rome, silver, 7.41 gm, 7:00, 18.5 mm, Roman, c. 300–280 BC (New Haven: Yale University Art Gallery, Ruth Elizabeth White Fund, accession ID 2011.80.1); image © Yale University Art Gallery

Sarcophagus depicting the triumph of Dionysos and the seasons, Phrygian marble, overall: 34 x 85 x 36 1/4 in. (86.4 x 215.9 x 92.1 cm), ca. AD 260–270 (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1955, Accession ID:55.11.5); photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Right: Didrachm of Rome, silver, 7.41 gm, 7:00, 18.5 mm, Roman, c. 300–280 BC (New Haven: Yale Academy Fine art Gallery, Ruth Elizabeth White Fund, accession ID 2011.80.1); image © Yale University Art Gallery. Left: Sarcophagus depicting the triumph of Dionysos and the seasons, Phrygian marble, overall: 34 x 85 x 36 1/iv in. (86.four 10 215.9 x 92.i cm), ca. Advertizing 260–270 (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Fine art, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Heritance, 1955, Accession ID:55.11.five); photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Much of the nearly distinctive sculpture of the Roman period is constitute on the peripheries of the Empire where native sculptors worked local limestones and sandstones in what approximated to Metropolitan Roman style. The sculpture produced in the Trier region and elsewhere in Northern Gaul and in the Cotswold region of Britain is lively and uninhibited, characterised by a pleasing fluidity of style which is paralleled past work of a not dissimilar quality produced by sculptors who employed the same soft and malleable stones in the Middle Ages. Similarly rich in texture merely more hieratic in form are the funerary and religious sculptures from Palmyra in Syria. Especially distinctive are portraits of women and men clearly wearing native, non-Roman apparel.

Wall painting from Room F of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, fresco, 73 1/2 x 73 1/2in. (186.7 x 186.7cm) , Roman, Late Republican, c. 50–40 B.C. (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1903, Accession ID: 03.14.5); image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wall painting from Room F of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, fresco, h. 76 in. (193.04 cm.) width 44-3/4 in. (113.7 cm.), Roman, Late Republican, c. 50–40 B.C. (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1903, Accession ID: 03.14.12); image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Right: Wall painting from Room F of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, fresco, 73 one/two x 73 1/2in. (186.7 x 186.7cm) , Roman, Late Republican, c. fifty–40 B.C. (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Fine art, Rogers Fund, 1903, Accession ID: 03.14.5); image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Left: Wall painting from Room F of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, fresco, h. 76 in. (193.04 cm.) width 44-3/4 in. (113.7 cm.), Roman, Late Republican, c. 50–40 B.C. (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1903, Accession ID: 03.14.12); image © The Metropolitan Museum of Fine art

Roman interiors were lavishly painted and stuccoed. For the 1st century BC and 1st century AD, the largest body of evidence comes from the Campanian cities and suburban villas destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79 (for example, Pompeii and Herculaneum). Four 'styles' accept been distinguished, the first based on rendering panels of coloured marble in painted imitation, the second opening upwardly the wall to illusionistic mythological or landscape painting, and the subsequently styles calculation more decorative and imaginative motifs to emphasise the bamboozlement of the projection. In fact the get-go ii styles in particular were taken from the Hellenistic world, every bit tin exist shown by comparison Campanian piece of work with paintings from Hellenistic palaces and tombs. Nevertheless, when taken individually, such exquisite works of art every bit the garden paintings from Livia's house at Prima Porta outside Rome and the fantasy conceits which ornamented Nero'southward Gilded Business firm show considerable originality. Moreover, painting continued to develop in the Mediterranean world and in the provinces, where archaeology continues to increment our knowledge of later Roman painting. Paintings from the Roman catacombs (Christian, Jewish and infidel), the Constantinian ceiling paintings from Trier, and the row of Christian praying figures (orantes) from the villa at Lullingstone, Kent in England demonstrate a trend for figurative paintings to get more than formal and anticipatory of Byzantine icons.

Mosaic Fragment with a Dionysiac Procession, mosaic: limestone and glass tesserae, late 2nd–early 3rd century AD, 67.3 x 67.9 cm (New Haven: Yale University Art Gallery, Ruth Elizabeth White Fund, accession ID 2004.2.2); image © Yale University Art Gallery

Mosaic Fragment with a Dionysiac Procession, mosaic: limestone and glass tesserae, tardily 2nd–early 3rd century Advertizement, 67.3 10 67.9 cm (New Haven: Yale University Fine art Gallery, Ruth Elizabeth White Fund, accretion ID 2004.2.ii); image © Yale University Art Gallery

Mosaics are oft regarded as quintessentially Roman, but they besides originated in Hellenic republic and especially the Hellenistic world. Many Roman mosaics are geometric in the manner of rugs and carpets, but a vast range of figurative subjects were produced, ranging from mythological and religious scenes to landscape and marine mosaics to scenes of gladiatorial combat and wild fauna fights. Different styles and workshops and differences in repertoire are recognisable throughout the Empire. In North Africa for example we notice many realistic representations of the Roman arena, while in Greece and U.k. such scenes are largely eschewed in favour of mythology. The early 4th century mosaic of the Great Hunt at Piazza Armerina in Sicily is a technically superb mosaic depicting violent conflict between beast and beast and man and man, while the contemporary and equally imposing mosaic at Woodchester, Gloucestershire, England is far more vibrant in terms of design and in the imaginative stylisation of animals which circumvolve peacefully around Orpheus simply possibly lacks the technical finesse of the Sicilian mosaic.

The and so-called modest arts were of corking importance in the highly avaricious Roman club. The rich vied with each other in displays of aureate jewellery and services of silver plate, which became ever more impressive in the late Roman flow. Engraved gems were acquired from the known earth, including sapphires and emeralds from Republic of india, stone crystal from the Alps, and amber from the Baltic. Hard stones were carved as intaglios to serve as seals or as cameos. Some of these were signed by famous artists such as Dioskourides, who is known to have carved the emperor Augustus' signet ring. Softer stones such every bit bister and fluorspar were fashioned into the grade of modest vessels.

Belt with coins from Constas to Theodosius I, gold, enamel, sapphire, emerald, garnet, and glass, Roman Empire, c. 385-400 AD, length. 79.1 cm (The J. Paul Getty Museum, object number 83.AM.224) Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program

Spouted Jar with Satyr Heads, gilded silver, Roman Empire, c. 4th - 5th century AD, H: 37.9 x Diam.: 27.5 cm (The J. Paul Getty Museum, object number 92.AM.12) Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program

Right: Belt with coins from Constas to Theodosius I, gold, enamel, sapphire, emerald, garnet, and glass, Roman Empire, c. 385-400 AD, length. 79.1 cm (The J. Paul Getty Museum, object number 83.AM.224) Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open up Content Program. Left: Spouted Jar with Satyr Heads, gilded silver, Roman Empire, c. fourth - 5th century Advert, H: 37.9 x Diam.: 27.5 cm (The J. Paul Getty Museum, object number 92.AM.12) Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program/font>

The range of Roman fine art is vast, and its diversity renders it hard to classify. Just its influence on the arts of the Renaissance and the Neo-Classical historic period and thus of our own time renders it strangely familiar to us in most if not all its aspects.

Internet resources

Find more images and data through these links, selected past the author and Oxford Art Online editors.

General resources

Greek and Roman Art in the Aboriginal World [thematic essays in the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History]
Smarthistory: Aboriginal Rome [online educational resource with essays and multimedia content on ancient Rome]
Art and Archaeology in the Perseus Digital Library [principal and secondary sources for the study of ancient Hellenic republic and Rome catalogue, including catalogue of objects, sites, and buildings]
Digital Roman Forum [digital model of the Roman Forum as it appeared in tardily antiquity created by the UCLA Cultural Virtual Reality Laboratory]
Rome Reborn [3D digital models illustrating the urban development of Ancient Rome]
Sample plan of a Roman House [floor plan created by Barbara F. McManus]
Ara Pacis Augustae [comprehensive body of images of the Ara Pacis]
LacusCurtius [site on Roman antiquity, including source texts and secondary literature]
IMAGO [the Roman Club's online image banking company developed from the slide collection at the Social club's library]