Misc Roman Writings

* Fannia Cassius

Misc Roman Writings

July 25 , 2010

A Roman Way of Seeing

Posted at 10:00 EST

Roman art refers to the visual forms of art created in Ancient Rome and its conquered territories. This includes paintings, architecture, sculptures and mosaic work. Roman art dates back to ancient Rome and is regarded more as the art of Roman civilization. Roman art has evolved for a period over a thousand years from the original Etruscan style and incorporates the style of the conquered territories, especially Greece. Later on, it evolved further to incorporate Christianity's virtues. As diverse as Roman art work is, it is clear that it is not just art but a vivid description and reminder of historical times and figures where artists sought to express the daily happenings through drawings, paintings, sculptures and other forms of art. Perhaps this served as the greatest significance of Roman art to the Roman people as they could relive or behold historical moments and daily happenings through art. The focus here is on evolution of Roman Art from 100 BCE to 350 A.D and its significance on the Roman people.

Etruscan Art Sample
Art is a complex phenomenon as it includes many different aspects. Sculptures, paintings, mosaic and minor works are all part of art. It is important to look at each during the evolution of Roman art. As aforementioned Roman art owes its roots to the Etruscan style of art after the overthrow of Etruscan kings and formation of the Roman Republic. It is from the Etruscan style that Roman art evolved. By around 100 BC, the Roman Empire had conquered Greece. After the conquest, some of the Greek artists relocated to Rome where they got ready market for their works.

Most Romans were fascinated by classical style of the Greek artistic works. They bought these products from Greek artists in Rome creating a ready market for the Greek classical artistic work. This is what attracted many Greek artists and many of them relocated to Rome to make a good living. Some Roman artists were so fascinated that they decided to incorporate some of Greek artistic impressions in their art work. Other imitated Greek artistic work fully and at this particular time, it was evident that Greek artistic work had a great influence on the Roman arts (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2007).

grecor

Greco Influence
There were many artistic works from 100 BCE. One of the most renowned forms of art in 100 BCE is the Domitius Ahenobarbus monument which was discovered on Campo Marzio in Rome. This was a description of the decoration of a temple and was believed to be the work of an Attican sculptor living in Rome (Louvre, nd). Another historical piece of art of around 100 BCE was the Louvre marble which described an important Roman practice, the census which was held every five years. The Louvre marble describes with details the census scene where the left part shows young men enrolling into the army. The marble shows citizens being registered into the administrative list with reference to their wealth and then being assigned a class out of the five classes in the army. The marble also shows the ceremony concluding in a sacrifice of a bull, a ram and a pig being offered to the god of war know to the Romans as Mars who presides over the ceremony. The dress code is clear depicting Mars wearimg a cuirass and a helmet and the priests; veils and crowns of laurels. This relief is one of the oldest pieces of art incorporating a vivid description of both political and religious views and beliefs of Rome in those days (Louvre, nd).

bahen

Domitius Ahenobarbus
Though the influences of Greek art were not immediate, they were clearly depicted at around 30 BCE. It was at this time the Roman art took a sharp turn. Roman artists tried to combine realism with the Greek feeling for idealization and abstract harmony of forms. This change was depicted in Augustus from Prima Porta which represented Roman art with foreign techniques incorporated. The change of combining realism, the Greco feeling of idealization and abstract harmony forms was there from 30 BCE all the way to around AD 14 While AD 14 marked the end of incorporation of realism and other artistic techniques, new artistic techniques were introduced. For the next eight decades from the reign of Tiberius through Flavian's reign, there was great concern of effects such as pictorial refinement and psychological penetration which were taking root in the Roman work. Art experts call this the art of illusionism and its climax in Roman art was marked after the conquest of Jerusalem at about AD 70 developed illusionism in art continued for the next two decades ending at around AD 96 This was followed by a period characterized by influence of arts of the Eastern provinces. This period lasted from AD 98 to AD 117 after which there was reversion to the techniques of the Augustan style that incorporated a sense of voluptuousness (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2007).

Aprima

Augustus Prima Porta
Painting was also important in Roman art. However, most of the paintings from the Roman time perished and little is known compared to sculptures. The little evidence about Roman paintings suggests that most of it was for interior decorations especially before and immediately after the conquest of Greece. It is evident that Greek style of painting also influenced the evolution of Roman art to a great extent. The Incrustation or Architectonic Plastic is claimed to have extended all the way to 80 B.C and was characterized by large flat areas broken by full scale painted pilasters. This was followed by architectural designed that concentrated more on stage design and was also employed in columns, arches, entablatures, and pediments. Most paintings of the time for instance Aldobrandini Wedding and Odyssey Landscapes in Vatican are claimed to have been under the influence of Greek painting style. In fact, these two paintings are deemed as imitations of Greek originals. At around 10 BCE the ornate style was invented and was used hand in hand with decoration. At the same time, painting borders was emphasized and was a characteristic of many paintings of the time. By the time Mount Vesuvius was erupting, a new style characterized by large areas flat color enclosing diminutive, graceful, and delicate scenes executed in brilliant color had been developed (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2010).

The continued need to perfect paintings led to the development of mosaic and minor arts. Mosaics were developed throughout the Roman Empire and played an important role in perfecting painting works. Roman minor arts also emphasized on use of additional materials and ornaments to the paintings as a form of decoration. Cameo and gold jewelry were used extensively leading to the production of paintings such as Cameo of the Deified Augustus in Paris. Decoration using ornaments and other minor art techniques continued to be used even after the collapse of the Roman Empire (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2010).

dea

Augustus Cameo
Roman art mostly emphasized on reality while the Greek art emphasized on ideas. Hybrid art developed after the conquest of Greece emphasized on these two concepts. In Rome, self image mattered a lot and people believed in creating or developing good images and pieces of art to make their ghosts happy after they die. Emperors and rulers used to make paintings and other pieces of art in their palaces and constructed their statues all over as a symbol of power.Roman art evolved a lot between 100 B.C and 315 A.D. these people believed in good artistic image and whenever they got ideas to make their art better, they embraced the new ideas. This was clearly depicted after Greek conquest when Romans embraced the ideas of Greek art and incorporated them into their own artistic works. It is evident that art was appreciated a lot.
pomppaint

Pompeii Painting

Works Cited:

Ancient Rome: Roman Art. 20 July 2010
Louvre, S. Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities: Roman Art.
THe Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Roman Art. 2007
Roman Art
The Art of Ancient Rome
Pictures submitted are all pubic domain.

From a paper for my Art History class. Cross posted in my Bellona dedico.

July 21 , 2010

scary, strange, and hallucinogenic

Posted at 13:00 EST

I write like Neil Gaiman. He is cute and alive as well. Thanks Baine and Senex this was fun! :D

neilgaiman

I write like
Neil Gaiman

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

May 7 , 2008

Everything is Plundered

Posted at 23:00 EST

Everything is plundered, betrayed, sold
Death's great black wings scrapes the air,
Misery gnaws to the bone.
Why then do we not despair?

By day from the surrounding woods,
cherries blow summer into town;
at night the deep transparent skies
glitter with new galaxies.

And the miraclous comes so close
to the ruined dirty houses---
something not known to anyone at all,
but wild in our breast for centuries.

by Anna Akhmatova

May 4 , 2008

The Same Inside

Posted at 14:00 EST

Walking to your place for a love feast
I saw at a street corner
an old beggar woman.

I took her hand,
kissed her delicate cheek,
we talked, she was
the same inside as I am,
from the same kind,
I sensed this instantly
as a dog knows by scent
another dog

I gave her money.
I could not part from her.
After all, one needs
someone who is close.

And then I no longer knew
why I was walking to your place.

by Anna Swir
translation by Czeslaw Milosz and Leonard Nathan

February 16 , 2008

ROME UNVISITED

Posted at 16:00 EST

The corn has turned from grey to red,
Since first my spirit wandered forth
From the drear cities of the north,
And to Italia's mountains fled.

And here I set my face towards home,
For all my pilgrimage is done,
Although, methinks, yon blood-red sun
Marshals the way to Holy Rome.

O Blessed Lady, who dost hold
Upon the seven hills thy reign!
O Mother without blot or stain,
Crowned with bright crowns of triple gold!

O Roma, Roma, at thy feet
I lay this barren gift of song!
For, ah! the way is steep and long
That leads unto thy sacred street.

II.

And yet what joy it were for me
To turn my feet unto the south,
And journeying towards the Tiber mouth
To kneel again at Fiesole!

And wandering through the tangled pines
That break the gold of Arno's stream,
To see the purple mist and gleam
Of morning on the Apennines

By many a vineyard-hidden home,
Orchard and olive-garden grey,
Till from the drear Campagna's way
The seven hills bear up the dome!

III.

A pilgrim from the northern seas -
What joy for me to seek alone
The wondrous temple and the throne
Of him who holds the awful keys!

When, bright with purple and with gold
Come priest and holy cardinal,
And borne above the heads of all
The gentle Shepherd of the Fold.

O joy to see before I die
The only God-anointed king,
And hear the silver trumpets ring
A triumph as he passes by!

Or at the brazen-pillared shrine
Holds high the mystic sacrifice,
And shows his God to human eyes
Beneath the veil of bread and wine.

IV.

For lo, what changes time can bring!
The cycles of revolving years
May free my heart from all its fears,
And teach my lips a song to sing.

Before yon field of trembling gold
Is garnered into dusty sheaves,
Or ere the autumn's scarlet leaves
Flutter as birds adown the wold,

I may have run the glorious race,
And caught the torch while yet aflame,
And called upon the holy name
Of Him who now doth hide His face.

Oscar Wilde