Art

The ancients Romans are known to have borrowed heavily from the Greeks in terms of artistic inspiration and techniques. This combined with their own indigenous artistic features forms what is termed as Greco- Roman art. The various art forms include Pottery, Sculpture, Paintings, Architecture and other art forms. The earlier subject matter was mostly geometric or abstract in nature and the later works include depiction of human figures. The subject matter chosen were mostly divine, mythological, animal figures and war scenes. The sheer beauty of the work of art, the symmetry and the choice of subject matter adds sheer delight to the onlooker and makes an interesting subject matter for study.

The choice of subject matter like human forms, horses, infantry men and the use of material like marble, terracotta and bronze are factors that are common to both Greek and Roman artworks. The penchant of the Greeks in portraying members from the higher echelons of the society, the royals and their army appears to have been emulated by the Romans as well. Both their Gods are depicted in human form, either as a tribute to the deceased or as a symbol of sacredness of the human body. Both the Greek and the Roman artists appear comfortable in their portrayal of nudity. The fact that their artworks have stood the test of time and continue to both thrill and inspire the artists of modern day is an interesting fact.

The ancient Greeks are known to have used pottery extensively in their everyday lives. Pottery was used as drinking vessels, as large wine cups and as bowls and jugs. Their pottery was finely shaped, symmetrical and often decorated with art. The themes are mostly depiction of human forms. The choice of colors was mostly limited and the work appears to be monochromatic.  The ranges of colors used in these paintings are mostly limited to black and red in combination with the natural light color of the pot. The artwork resembles the Red  figure Technique known to have been evolved by the Greeks in 5th Century BC. However the Siana Cup appears to be a combination of Red-Figure Technique and the Black-figure Technique. The pot is painted on the inside in black and on the outside the natural light color of the pot is seen with black and red figures represented on them. The term Siana refers to the decorative schemes, one in which the subject covers the upper exterior around the handles, and the other in which a large tondo or circular picture covers the bottom of the interior. The choice of complementary color for the background and the foreground makes the image stand out.

The Column Krater looks solid in appearance portraying the confidence of the artist in his craftsmanship. The elegance of the painting and the finesse of the artwork are in sharp contrast to the firmness of the object itself giving the Krater a sense of added beauty and mystery. The formwork is more organic and lucid in nature with the use of curves to define the outline of the human figures much in variation with the usual straight lines used by Greeks. The subject matter depicts a mood of celebration and joy Most probably this scene was selected due to the function of the vessel. A krater was used to mix wine and water for use at social gatherings. The main subject matter is depicted in the body of the vessel. The rims and the handles are decorated with fine engravings in black. Though the functionality or the usability of the pottery seems questionable owing much to the shape of the handles, the work stands out in its beauty and aesthetics. The sheen and finish is a classic example of the exemplary techniques the Greeks adopted in firing clay, though the colors are limited owing to the limitations in technology.

The roman art form especially sculptures mostly depicted human forms. The material choice is usually stone, marble in particular. The sculpture seems to have been sculpted from a single stone. The various proportions and the use of light and depth portray the understanding that the Roman artists had of the human anatomy. The bearded roman would fall under the Roman Portraiture category. The portrayal is realistic and natural without any artistic exaggeration added to it. The fineness of the artwork is displayed by the meticulous detailing of the facial hair and the hair on the head. The lines on the forehead and the way in which the facial muscles are captured indicate the portrayal of a middle aged man. A clear sense of symmetry is visible in their depiction. The face is rectangular or cubical in form and definitively male in its portrayal. The shape of the lips portrays a tightness or firmness perhaps indicating an impenetrable emotionality of the person depicted. The sculpture invokes a sense of seriousness on the viewer. The cubic structure conveys a sense of force and latent power in the image of the dictator-emperor, especially in combination with a firm, quiet expression, and the most typical public demeanor for emperors during the initial two centuries of the Roman Empire.

The early artwork appears to have worshipped the human form. The human body seems to have been considered as sacred. This is apparent in their depiction of Gods in human form. The Roman artists are bold and natural in their depiction of nudity. There is strangeness to the sculpture in the fact that though the sculpture was obviously meant to portray a nude image the artist has detailed some clothing on the upper part of the body. The human figure is muscular in a non-exaggerated fashion. The shape of the body, the muscles, the detailing of the knee and various other parts are clearly captured through varying depths flowing across the sculpture. The main subject matter is portrayed on a circular pedestal and a pole or a tree trunk connecting the base to the subject giving a sense of continuity to the sculpture.

The artworks chosen are a typical of the features of artworks of similar period from the Greco-Roman art framework. The choice of material, subject matter, the style and the techniques are similar to other works from the same period.