Art

To most people, ancient Rome is remembered solely for the empire that controlled the lands bordering the  Mediterranean, much of Europe and Great Britain. This is understandable because of the great accomplishments of the empire and the contribution it has made to foundation of Western society. The five centuries before Rome became an empire goes too often unnoticed. Republican Rome was born with the overthrow of a monarch, King Tarquin the Great in 509 BC. From this beginning, the early Romans forged a system of government consisting of representative bodies that were elected every year, an aristocratic body that would evolve into the Senate, and the executive magistrates. Each of the three divisions of the Roman republic had limited and specific powers designed to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful and this separation of power was kept in check by the rules of the republican constitution. The republic was relatively more democratic than the empire that was to succeed it. Art of republican Rome reflects the value they put on public service, family lineage and military accomplishments  The final quarter of the first century BC historically marks the end of the republic. The triumph of Gaius Octavius over his rivals, the senates acquiescence in granting him dictatorial powers and the title Augustus marks the beginning of the empire. Imperial Rome is aloof, decadent, ingenious, and magnificent all at the same time. The art of Republican Rome can be distinguished from the art of Imperial Rome by the scale of works, the intended purpose of art, and by its ultimate function.

Roman mythology tells us that Rome was founded by two brothers named Romulus and Remis between the eighth and tenth centuries, BC. Romulus killed Remis over a dispute about who would rule the city,  and so it is from Romulus the name of the city is derived. The period from around 509 BC to the Fifth century AD will be the focus of this brief summary of Roman history. Republican Rome historically begins with the overthrow of the last Etruscan king Tarquin and ends in the last half of the first century BC. The republic had a constitution, elected representative bodies, and a system of checks and balances to regulate the powers of the senate and two consuls by requiring them to work together on important issues of state. The time of the republic is strife with social conflict and war, both external and internal. The wealth made by a few from the expansion of roman territory drives the desire for more expansion. The steady corrosion of the republic by those with the power to realize their own selfish dreams leads to dictatorship, first by Julius Caesar, and then the reign of Augustus Rome is now an empire. Any remaining elected body from the time of Augustus onward is powerless and only for show. The emperors for the next four centuries have absolute authority over any and all aspects of Rome and her empire. There are periods notable by the rule of just, competent, and beneficent emperors. Some periods are concentrated with many emperors because assassinations were common and sometimes three emperors killed in a single year the norm. Overall, however, most emperors can be characterized as being corrupt and decadent from being infected with the scourge of absolute power. The transition from republic to empire and how it is reflected in the sculpture, painting, and architecture of the Romans is the focus of this paper.  

The scale of roman art grew in proportion to the size of the empire. With more lands under its control, Roman engineering and architecture had to provide the basic necessities newly incorporated urban areas by building greater civic works. This demonstrates that at least some monumental works were not done explicitly for the sake of doing it, but because they had a practical need for it. Aqueducts of the Roman Empire were and still are a miracle of engineering. The Roman aqueduct was constructed mostly underground to maintain the purity of the water and had to be built to very precise specifications so the water would flow at a precise rate from the source into the cities they served.

The remains of many aqueducts are still standing. These aqueduct bridges represent only a tiny part of the mostly hidden length of the aqueduct and were constructed to bridge gaps where the terrain would not allow the continuation of the underground channel.

In Segovia, Spain, the remains of the aqueduct bridge illustrate another Roman innovation that allowed them to build larger and do it gracefully at the same time the Roman arch. The arch is an engineering marvel with a visually artistic appeal. Building sand other structures could now be built on an unprecedented scale, worthy of  an empire. The aqueduct and arch embody the overall characteristics of the art and architecture of Rome simple, elegant, functional.

Roman concrete was invented at around the same time as the birth of the empire and was another crucial factor in allowing them to build the monumental structures that Rome is Famous for. The Pantheon was originally built in the early first century AD, destroyed by fires twice, and then rebuilt in its present form by the Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD. The Pantheon was the largest dome on earth for over 1800 years and remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome. More impressively, it is still in use today. It is the culmination of roman engineering innovations, architecture, and artistic elegance.    

The Pantheon may be seen as an example of Roman work whose purpose went beyond its practical function, if only slightly. The enormous 2.5 meter high head of Constantine the Great (306-337) that was once part of a statue 12 meters high is a good example of the scale that imperial art had grown to and whose construction was definitely beyond any practical purpose (other than unabashed propaganda). Another, even better example is the recently unearthed heads of  the Emperor Hadrian (r.117-138) and Emperor Marcus Aurelius (r.161 to 180) at an archaeological excavation of a public bath in Turkey. Each head is 5 meters tall and they each must have rested on bodies that were an astounding 24 meters high. Clearly, these monumental images of the emperors are evidence of the reverence given to and demanded by the emperors of the imperial age.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in hot mud and ash, perfectly preserving the towns and giving us an unprecedented glimpse into daily Roman life and art they surrounded themselves with, literally. Wall paintings, perfectly preserved when excavated, adorned many of the houses of ancient Pompeii and the smaller, neighboring town of Herculaneum and were made in the years between the second century BC up until close to the time of the eruption in 79AD. Because these years bridge the republican and imperial periods, we can document the differences in styles of the respective periods and draw some conclusions about the way societal forces influenced Roman art. The Pompeian murals,or frescoes, utilized a technique where paint is applied to wet plaster (or similar material) so the paint literally becomes part of the wall. The subjects of the paintings are varied. Imitation marble, scenes from classical mythology, still life, and paintings of windows displaying imaginary scenes designed to make a small room feel larger are only a few examples of some of the subject-matter, but certainly not a complete list. The murals are classified into four categories. The first two styles are of the republican period and reflect a reserved and modest character. The first style, also known as the architectural or encrustation style imitates the various building materials common for their day Marble, brick, and mortar. It is a modest style with an economical function that fits well with the character republican Rome. The second style uses simple perspective to the give the illusion of a larger space than it really was. One example is a painting of a window looking over a architectural scene that uses perspective to give the illusion of depth and distance.1 The second style appears at around 90 BC and demonstrates a mixture of the old republican values and imperial expansion that is quickly enlarging Romes holdings at this time. It is of the republics character in its resourceful use of art to perform the addition of a new window without all the noise and sawdust. This style of art is also is a manifestation of the periods tendency to acquire of and desire for new territory general some of the first hints of Roman expansion expressed through art. The next two styles are from the very early empire may be interpreted as more lavish and ornate. It is not a coincidence that the more elaborate styles become more prevalent during the early empire they are an expression of the greatness that Augustus has made of himself , the empire, and the people privileged to be under his rule. The use of illusion is gone in the third style.

The fourth style is described as
Characterized as a  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiBaroquebaroque reaction to the Third Styles mannerism, the Fourth Style in   Roman wall painting (ca. 20 79) is generally less disciplined than its predecessor. It revives large-scale narrative painting and panoramic vistas, while retaining the architectural details of the Second Style. In the Julio-Claudian phase (ca. 20 54), a textile-like quality dominates and tendrils seem to connect all the elements on the wall. The colors warm up once again, and they are used to advantage in the depiction of scenes drawn from mythology.

These  scenes drawn from mythology  serve to emphasize and embellish Romes place in classical mythology. One fresco depicts Chiron teaching Achilles to play the lyre. Chiron was a gifted centaur who tutored many of the classical heroes. Achilles was the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. This scene also reminds us that Chiron tutored another great hero of the Trojan War and the founder of Rome Aeneas. The Aeneid, written by the poet Virgil during Augustus reign, tells the story of the hero Aeneas and some of his fellow Trojans adventures after the Trojan War and ultimately founding Rome.

The influence and character of Rome can be also seen in the the thematic styles of Pompeian interior decoration. A popular theme painted in the early period of Augustus rule is an Egyptian one. The conquest of Octavians rivals Marc Antony and Cleopatra in the battle of Actium, coupled with Egypts annexation as a province of Rome, inspired great interest in anything Egyptian. The people of Rome were exposed to numerous novel cultures and more worldly than ever thanks to the imperial acquisition -or subjugation- of new provinces directly influencing Roman art with an influx of foreign art as was the case with  Egypt-mania  in the art of Pompeii. As the Roman republic came to an end and the empire began, we can witness in the styles of Pompeian fresco a pattern of increasing lavishness the reflected the increasing decadence that grew in direct proportion to the power of the empire.

Sculpted portraits were popular in both republican and imperial Rome In republican times, the portrait bust was an important object that heralded the virtues of military and civic achievements of their ancestors.  The social position of the family was partially determined by the public service and military triumphs of its ancestry. These portraits were very lifelike and, although idealized, they included wrinkles and other imperfections that demonstrates a least a measure of modesty present in Romans of the republic that would be less common in imperial times. These portraits were used promote the specific family the portrait belonged to, celebrate republican roman virtues such as civic duty, and show veneration for the dead. These functions will change somewhat in the imperial period.

There is a new style and purpose for portraiture in the imperial period starting with Augustus. The image of Augustus in sculpture, on coins, and scenes depicted in relief display an idealized image of  the emperor in the Hellenistic tradition. His youth, beauty, and strength are emphasized and this model is distributed through out the empire as the model to be used by artists depicting Augustus. The friends and benefactors of the imperial family would create statues of themselves that looked remarkably similar to that of the idealized emperors and imperial family and served to associate and ingratiate themselves with the emperors. Succeeding emperors will recognize the power of propaganda these portraits can have, whether chiseled into stone or stamped onto a coin. The legitimacy of their rule, their beneficence, and the power they and their empire have over its subjects can all be conveyed through the imagery of the emperors. This is a departure from republican Rome and its disdain for unelected rulers.

The change in the character of Roman art as it changed from a republic to an empire is demonstrated by these few examples of sculpture, painting, and architecture outlined in this paper. The Romans have left us so much more in artistic glassware, mosaic, and literature. Their imaginative creations of art reflect the character of their society, their values, and the upheavals  the people endure can be traced through studying Roman art. This is true of any society, not just ancient Roman culture. Art is the expression of  a cultures, any and every cultures, core values, beliefs, and even their short comings as human beings. Studying art is a wonderful way to learn about ancient civilizations, our present world, and every time and place in between. Not only can will you learn historical facts by studying art, but you can come to understand the more abstract and intangible facets of a culture or society that cannot be quantified with a date or name. It is in this way that studying art can give you insight into the extra dimensions of a civilization only revealed through art.