Roman Art &

Architecture

500 B.C.E.-400 C.E.

Unit Theme: M.E.R.I.T.

Monuments
Engineering
Realism
Interior Space
Temples

The Roman Empire

Its massive empire extended through Europe,
Africa, and Ancient Near East
Lasted 500 yrs
Romulus and Remus (twin sons of Mars) were the
mythological founders of Rome.
It eventually collapsed due to financial stress and
barbarian invasions

Roman Empire

Politics and Classes

Established democracy with elected male
officials known as a Senate

Population divided into 2 classes Patricians-wealthy, upper class

Plebians-lower class

Roman Empire In a
Nutshell
Philosophy-Efficiency, organization,
practicality
Art forms-Mosaics, realistic wall paintings,
idealized civic sculpture
Most famous building-Pantheon
Signature city-Rome
Role model-Greece
World contributions-law, engineering, city
planning, cement

Romans & Greeks

Rome took over Greece in 146 BCE
Conquered then imitated them!
Valued Greek cultural riches
Importing
Workshops

Art and Architecture

Art was prized but artists were low members
of society
Used to help unify empire
Some used for propaganda
Unified visual style throughout

Architectural contributions
Cement meant rounded arches and domes were
created
Shaped and opened up interior space for the first time
Inventions Round Arch
Barrel Vault
Groin Vault
Domes

Round Arch

Barrel Vault

Groin Vault
Dome

PierA vertical support that

holds up an arch or
vault

Pilaster-A rectangular vertical element of

masonry in the shape of a flattened
column with both a capital and a base

Spandrel-A
triangular space
enclosed by the
curves of arches

Art of The Republic

Imagines
Romans had great interest
in faces
IMAGINES were created
for funeral processions.
Represented status
Influenced veristic
portraits

Head of a Roman Patrician,

75-50 BCE

 Life-size marble portrait bust

Extremely realistic face, called a veristic
portrait
Hellenistic influence
Full of experience and wisdom- traits
Roman patricians would have desired

Art of Pompeii and cities of Vesuvius

August 24th, 79 CE
The most important city in discovering
Roman culture is Pompeii-sealed off
for centuries in volcanic ash

House of the Vettii

 Roman house
Focused inward to keep out noise and dust
Focus on privacy
Sign of wealth and status

Atrium of the House of Vettii,

2nd c. BCE-1st c. CE

3a. Compluvium

 Atrium- large open area in the center of

the house, reception area. Paintings
decorated the walls.
Compluvium- rectangular opening in the
roof that allowed in air, light and
rainwater.
Impluvium-rectangular basin in the floor
under the compluvium that held rainwater

 Triclinium- dining room with three

couches
Cubicula- series of small bedrooms off
of the atrium.
Peristyle- row of columns that
surrounded an outdoor eating area

Wall Painting
True fresco (buon fresco)
Decorate house, portraits, tell stories
Began developing perspective techniques

Pentheus Room, 62-79 CE,

fresco, Pompeii, Italy.

 Reception room in H of Vettii

Overlooked garden
Faux windows painted in

Roman Wall Painting

Four styles
1st style: illusion of marble with real architectural
details
2nd style: figures on shallow stage or
landscape/cityscape close-up. Painted arch. details
3rd style: solid color with slender, whimsical details
4th style:combination

Second Style Wall Painting,

50-40 BCE

 Inside a cubiculum (bedroom)

Use of Linear Perspective- objects
appear smaller in space by using receding
lines that converge at a single point.
Refined mathematically in Renaissance

Still Life with Peaches

 another example of perspective

The peaches are placed on receding
shelves to create the illusion of depth
Artist uses touches of white paint to
capture the effect of light on the surface of
the jar.

Battle of Issus

From the House of Faun,

Pompeii
310 BCE

 This is a copy of an original Greek

painting done by a Roman mosaic
artist.
Subject: Historical. Alexander the
Great invaded Persia.
Had 35,000 men. King Darius III of
Persia had 100,000. Captures
moment of AG realizing how
outnumbered he was but attacking
anyway

 Shows intensity, drama, and

advancing representation of pictorial
space
Mosaic- an image composed of small
pieces of colored glass or stone
This one has more than 1 million tiny
stones
9x16

Art of the Empire

Augustus of Primaporta,
20 CE

 Emperor known for Pax Romana

Idealized view of the Roman emperor
Propaganda

Contrapposto, likeness to Polykleitos

Doryphorous
Confusion between God and man intentional

 Breastplate indicates he is a warrior,

judges robes show him as a civic ruler
Roman oratorical gesture
Base: Cupid on back of a dolphin- a
reference of Augustus divine descent from
Venus