The Tetrarchs of Saint Mark's Basilica

Location and Historical Context

• Situated on the side of Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice
• Two pieces of stone depicting four tetrarchs
• Likely spoils from the Fourth Crusade (sacked Constantinople)
• Not originally part of the Byzantine or Christian tradition
• Dates back to the last phase of polytheistic Roman culture

Roman Empire Background

• 3rd century: Roman Empire faced civil wars
• Emperor Diocletian divided the empire for stability
  • Established the Tetrarchy (4 rulers)
  • 2 Augusti (senior emperors) and 2 Caesars (junior emperors)
• Possible representations: Diocletian, Maximianus, Galerius, Constantius

Artistic Characteristics

• Departure from individualized emperor portraits
• Uniformity: similar positions, body sizes, and abstracted faces
• Attributes:
  • Bearded Augusti (elders) vs. clean-shaven Caesars
  • Abstract faces with lozenge-shaped eyes
  • Lack of naturalism and contrapposto
  • Identical costumes

Medium and Style

• Carved in purple porphyry (reserved for emperors, imported from Egypt)
• Porphyry: hard to carve intricate details
• Finely carved porphyry exists, demonstrating an aesthetic choice
• Expressions:
  • Valor, harmony, solidarity
  • Military imagery: grasping swords with eagle hilts
  • Drastic difference in drapery from classical forms

Proportions and Idealization

• Disproportionate anatomy: large heads, narrow shoulders
• Contrasts to classical naturalism

Transition to Christian Period

• Period edging towards the end of the Roman Empire
• Next ruler, Constantine, decriminalizes Christianity
• Early Christian and medieval art: similar abstraction for a religious focus

Mystery of Abstraction

• Similarity to early Christian art but without religious context
• Open question on the rejection of earlier classicism