Roman Art Lecture

Roman Art Periods

• Republican Period (509-27 BCE):
  • Political shift with the introduction of the emperor in 27 BCE, marking the beginning of the Imperial Period.
  • Preceded by 250 years of kings and Etruscan influence.
• Imperial Period (27 BCE-376 CE): Early and Late Empire phases.

Roman Art and Society

• Engineering and architecture as political propaganda.
• Differences in sculpture between Republican and Imperial periods.
• Key Roman emperors and their monuments.
• Religious and political shifts affecting visual arts.

Historical Context

• Etruscans: Northern neighbors of Romans, influential in early Roman culture.
• Roman Expansion: Integration of Etruscan and Greek influences, expansion into a vast empire by 117 CE.

Founding Myths

• Aeneas: Trojan founder, son of Aphrodite, linked to Roman origins.
• Remus and Romulus: Mythical founders of Rome, raised by a she-wolf.

Social Structure

• Patricians: Aristocratic class, held political power, wore togas.
• Plebeians: Commoners, struggled for rights, served in the military.
• Freemen and Slaves: Freedmen could purchase freedom; slaves played roles in Roman economy.

Infrastructure

• Roads, Bridges, Aqueducts: Advanced engineering, roads still in use today.
• Architecture of Space: Use of concrete for large structures like basilicas.

Roman Cities

• Grid layout, centralized authority, public buildings like basilicas and amphitheaters.
• Apartment living for commoners, with bustling city life.

Sculpture

• Republican Sculpture: Veristic portraits emphasizing age and wisdom, ancestor veneration.
• Plebeian Art: Less refined, often funerary, depicting everyday life.

Shift to Imperial Sculpture

• Idealized images of youthful emperors and generals.
• Augustus of Prima Porta: Idealized, symbolic imagery, barefoot suggesting divinity.

Religion

• State and Household Worship: Blend of personal and public religious practices.
• Syncretic Nature: Adaptation to different cultural deities.

Architectural Innovations

• Pantheon: Dome symbolizing heaven, open oculus for light and rain.
• Engineering Mastery: Use of concrete, corinthian columns signifying eternal bloom.

Notable Emperors and Monuments

• Augustus: Initiated Pax Romana, Arapacakas symbolizing peace.
• Nero: Excessive lifestyle, Golden House.
• Flavian Line: Vespasian built the Colosseum, a gift to the people.
• Trajan: Expanded empire, Trajan’s Column depicting Dacian Wars.
• Hadrian: Pantheon reconstruction, Hadrian’s Wall marking empire's limits.
• Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher emperor, famous equestrian statue.

Decline and Transition

• Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, marks beginning of decline.
• Transition to Late Empire with increasing instability.

These notes cover key transitions, influential figures, and significant art and architecture developments in Roman history, important for understanding the evolution from the Republican to the Imperial art style and societal changes.