arh2050 power to the people the art of the roman republic
TRANSCRIPT
Power To The People
The Art of Ancient Rome IntroductionToArtHistoryI
ProfessorWillAdams
The Roman Timeline § RomanRepublicanPeriod(509-27BCE):Beginswithoverthrowing
lastEtruscanKingandendswithJuliusCaesar.Majorbuildingsbuiltmoreforpoliticalusethanforworship§ KEYWORDS:Temples,AraPacis,homagetorulers
§ EarlyEmpirePeriod(27BCE-180CE):§ KEYWORDS:Wallpaintings,concrete,arch,Colosseum
§ TheHighEmpire(180-195CE):FiveGoodEmperors(Trajan,Hadrian,etc.)keptthingsprosperousandpeaceful.§ KEYWORDS:ColumnofTrajan,Hadrian’sWall,Pantheon
§ TheLateEmpire(195-400CE):DiocletianhadEmpiredividedintofourparts.§ KEYWORDS:Tetrarchy,ArchofConstantine
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The Republican Period
The Republican Period
§ OneoftheculturesthattheEtruscanshadhistoricallycontrolledwasatribeofpeopleknownastheLatins,whoinhabitedthecityofRome,whichwassituatedontheTiberRiverinwestern-centralItaly.
§ However,in509BCE,theEtruscanrulerofRome,Tarquin,wasdeposedfrompowerbytheLatins.
The Republican Period
§ TheLatinswereinspiredtooverthrowtheirEtruscanleaderafterTarquin’ssonrapedafamousandbelovedLatinwomannamedLucretia.
§ Herrapewentunpunishedand,inanguishandshame,Lucretiacommittedsuicide.
§ Lucretia’sdeathwasthesparkneededtoignitetheflameofrevolutioninRome.Titian,TheRapeofLucretia,Oilon
panel,c.1518CE
The Republican Period
§ AfterTarquin’sexpulsion,theRomanssoughttocreateanewtypeofjustgovernment.
§ Todoso,theyblendedthepublicparticipationofGreekdemocracywiththecentralizedauthorityofthepreviousEtruscanskings.
§ Theresultwasarespublica,orrepublic,agovernmentofthepeople.
The Republican Period
§ Thisnewgovernmenthadthreebranches:§ TheExecutive:The
consulship,headedbyconsuls
§ TheAdvisory:TheSenate,populatedbysenators
§ TheLegislative:TheAssembly,whichheldtwohouses:TheAssemblyofCenturies&TheAssemblyofTribes
§ Agreatblendingofothers’ideas!
The Republican Period
TheSevenHillsOfAncientRome
1. Quirinal2. Viminal3. Esquiline4. Capitoline5. Palatine6. Caelian7. Aventine
The Republican Period
§ Infact,theRomanswerenotjustgreatadoptersandsynthesizersofgovernments–theydidsowithmanyotherareasofculture:mythology,literature,architecture,sculpture,ortheatre.
§ Ineachcase,theRomansobservedthoseofothercultures’,adoptedtheaspectsthattheyliked,discardedthosetheydidn’t,andeventuallyformedablendedcultureoftheirown.
§ Thissynthesizingofculturesdisplaysitselfmostprominentlyintheart,sculpture,andarchitectureofRome,withheavyinfluencecomingfromtheGreeks.
§ Manytimes,thisleadstheviewerofanartworktowonder:
Is it Greek or Roman?
Is It Greek Or Roman?
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ELEMENT GREEK ROMAN
PreferredStructure TemplestoGlorifyGodsCivicBuildingstohonor
Empire
Walls MadeofcutstoneblocksConcretewithOrnamental
facing
TrademarkForms Rectangles,StraightLines Circles,CurvedLines
SupportSystem PostandLintel RoundedArch
ColumnStyle Doric&Ionic Corinthian
Sculpture IdealizedGods&GoddessesRealistic(Verism)humans,
idealizedofficials
PaintingStylizedfiguresfloatingin
SpaceRealisticimageswith
perspective
SubjectofArt MythologyCivicLeaders,military
triumphs
Is It Greek Or Roman?
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TempleofAthenaNikeClassicalGreek;c.427BCE
TempleofPortunusRome,Italy;c.75BCE
Is It Greek Or Roman?
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TheParthenonAthens,Greece;c.
420BCE
ThePantheonRome,Italy;c.
126CE
Is It Greek Or Roman?
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Polykleitos,Doryphoros,HighClassicalGreek
AugustusOfPrimaporta,PaxRomana(Roman)
Is It Greek Or Roman?
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AthenaandAlcyoneusFriezefromtheAltarofZeusatPergamon,c.180BCE,
HellenisticGreek
SpoilsfromtheTempleofSolomon,JerusalemReliefontheArchofTitus;81CE,Early
EmpireRome
Roman Revolution: The Arch
Plinth
Pier
Impost
Springer
Voussoirs
Keystone
Spandrel
Intrados
Roman Revolution: The Arch
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TheRomaninventionofthetruearchwithitsvoussoirsandcentralkeystoneallowedtheRomanstocreategranderarcuatedstructuresthantheGreeks
hadeverconceivedofbuildingwiththeirtrabeatedstyle.
BarrelVault
GroinVault
FenestratedGroinVaultSequence
HemisphericalDomeWithCentralOculus
Republican Art § TheTempleofPortunusisan
exampleofRomansynthesis.§ ItfollowstheEtruscandesign
pattern:§ Highpodiumisaccessible
onlyatthefront,withitswideflightofsteps.
§ Freestandingcolumnsareconfinedtothedeepporch.
§ ThestructureisbuiltofstoneandwasoriginallyoverlaidwithstuccoinimitationofthewhitemarbletemplesoftheGreeks.
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TempleofPortunusRome,Italy;ca.75BCE
Republican Art § ThecolumnsareIonic,
completewithflutesandbases.
§ InanefforttoapproximateaperipteralGreektemple-whilemaintainingtheEtruscanplan-thearchitectaddedaseriesofengagedIonichalf-columnsaroundthecella’ssidesandback.
§ Theresultwasapseudoperipteral(“peripteral-like”)temple.
Republican Art § TheRomans’admirationfor
theGreektemplestheyencounteredintheirconquestsalsoledtotheimportationoftheround,ormonopteral,templetype.
§ ThetravertinecolumnsareCorinthian.
§ IncontrastwithGreekpractice,thecellawallwasconstructednotofmasonryblocksbutofanewinvention:concrete.
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TempleoftheSibyl(orVesta)Tivoli,Italy;c.90BCE
Republican Art
Roman Concrete
TheRecipeforRomanConcrete:
1. Pozzolana2. Lime3. Water4. Aggregate
Republican Art § L’Arringatore(Aulus
Metellus),Hollow-castbronze,c.75BCE
§ ArtistsoftheRepublicanPeriodsoughttocreateveryrealisticimagesoftheirrulers.
§ Dressedinthetraditionaldrapedtoga,AulusMetellusposeswithauthorityandpersuasiveness.
Republican Art!
§ ThesculpturalportraitsofprominentRomanRepublicanfiguresareliteralreproductionsofindividualfaces.
§ Republicanportraitsareonewaythepatricianclasscelebrateditselevatedstatus.
§ Yetwhenfreedslavesdied,theyoftenorderedportraitsfortheirtombs.
§ Thisimagedepictsformerslaveswhohavegainedtheirfreedomandrighttohavetheirportraitscreated.
FuneraryReliefwithPortraitsoftheGessii;Rome,Italy;c.30BCE§ Slavescouldnot
haveportraits,because,underRomanlaw,theywereproperty.
Republican Art § Patricianportraitswere
typicallyofmenofadvancedage(generallytheseeldersheldthepowerinthestate).
§ Oneofthemoststrikingoftheseso-calledveristic(super-realistic)portraitsisofanunidentifiedpatrician.
§ Weareabletoseethisman’spersonality:serious,experienced,determined-virtuesthatwereadmiredduringtheRepublic.
HeadofaRomanPatrician,fromOtricoli,Italy;c.75-50BCE
Persequendum Est...