RomeArt as demonstration of power

New VocabularyConcreteforumGroined vaultBarrel vaultdomeBasilicaNaveClerestoryapse

AtriumDomusinsula

Does Rome have a unique characteristic style of art?

•huge admiration for Greek art- had Greek art from all periods copied and original Roman art was done in the style of Greece, many Roman artists were Greek in origin•Roman authors find little concern with art of their own time- never developed literature on the theory, history or criticism of art like the Greeks•we hear very little of specific artists who enjoyed individual fame•Probably looked upon their own time as a decline in art compared to Greece•Earlier seen by historians as just an extension of Greek art but now seen as a totally different style- great majority of Roman art is unsigned- could have come from anywhere in Roman domain- Roman society was very tolerant of alien traditions so long as they did not threaten the security of the state, new provinces were not made to adopt Roman traditions- law and order were imposed on them, but religion was not forced- so many traditions of Etruscan, Near East, and Egyptians were absorbed into Roman culture- therefore Roman style is not consistent- emergent styles existing side by side

Roman architecture reflected that of Greece, but a totally Roman purpose- both public and private architecture

Temple of Fortuna Virilis, 2nd C. BCE

•suggests Greek influence following Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BC (Ionic columns)- but not copy of Greek- •Etruscan elements- high podium, deep porch, wide cella, but cella is not subdivided into 3 parts- now a unified space- •needed large interiors for images of deity and for display of trophies (statues, weapons) brought back by conquering army•Served as a temple type and is found in Italy and all around the empire

Plan, Fortuna Virilis

Common Plan for RomanTemples

Temple of Sibyl at Tivoli, early 1st century BCE

•Combined Greek elements with ancient Roman peasant hut design•Became model for round style of Roman temples•Much of the structure is built with CONCRETE!!!•Concrete was used in the near east, but never for architecture•Concrete structure was faced with stone, marble•The facades have worn away so Roman ruins are less attractive than Greek’s

Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, 1st century BCE East of Rome- presence of strange cult, dedicated to Fortuna (Fate)- a mother deity and oracle• unearthed through bombings in 1944- •ramps and terraces lead to a colonnaded court, flight of stairs like a Greek theater, arched openings framed by engaged columns and entablatures, presence of barrel vault- •all surfaces now are of concrete- fits into the hillside- architecture seems to grow from rock- this was not possible in Greece- comparable to New Kingdom in Egypt•Does not express the spirit of the Roman republic- time period was transition between Republic and dictatorship

Model of Fortuna

Model made of Legos!!!

Plan of the Forums, Rome

•Forums of Rome - Julius Caesar planned a similar scaled project in Rome•Caesar’s Forums were a combination religious shrine and personal glorification•Became the model of all imperial forums, although nothing remains today of any of them

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France, early 1st century BCE•Arch and vault became standard construction for engineering projects•Used in aqueducts and sewers, designed for efficiency rather than beauty•Relays sense of order and permanence

Colosseum, Rome, 72-80 BCE•Enormous amphitheater for gladiatorial games-in the center of Rome•One of the largest single buildings in history•Efficient-meant to serve large amount of human traffic (50,000 people)•Utilizes both the barrel vault and the groined vault (two barrel vaults at right angles

•Fine balance between vertical and horizontal elements•Engaged columns, series of arches•Three classical orders are used- Doric is on the ground floor (weighty), Ionic, and then Corinthian-lightening of the proportions, but its barely noticeable

•Round style temple•From the outside, the cella looks like a simple cylindrical drum•Deep porch is common•Not as impressive today- the modern streets of Rome are a great deal higher than they were in ancient times - the steps up to the porch are now submerged in pavement•The interior is far more impressive today

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Pantheon, Rome, 118-25 AD

Interior of the Pantheon by PanniniC.1740

•Interior is more impressive•Use of arches led to huge, uninterrupted interior spaces-used in baths (centers of Roman society•Dome is a true hemisphere, emits plenty of light•Everything is perfectly balanced•Base had to be made much heavier than the top•Weight rests on 8 wide pillars- this allows for niches around the side•Inside of dome was originally gold gilt•Dedicated to the seven planetary gods

Plans of the Pantheon

Basilica of Constantine, Rome, 310-20 AD

Reconstruction drawing of the Basilica of Constantine

•Largest roofed interior in all of Rome•Basilica- long halls that served civic purposes- standard feature of every Roman town- usually held the courts•Nave- the center tract •Clerestory- the upper part of the nave, pierced with large windows to let in light•This was possible because the groined vaults helped center the weight on the four corners

Atrium, House of the Silver WeddingPompeii, 1st c. AD

Domestic Architecture--•Single family house was called a Domus- for wealthy Romans•Each had an atrium, square central hall lighted by an opening in the roof•Many examples found at Pompeii and Herculaneum (buried 79 AD)•Silver Wedding- atrium flanked by Corinthian columns, basin to collect rain water in the center•Atriums were used for keeping family portraits of family ancestors•Further rooms were attached to the back of the house as well as clustered around the atrium•All shut off from the street with windowless walls

Insula of the House of Diana, Ostia, 150 AD

•Insula- less elegant•More urban- found ion Rome and around it•Similar to an apartment house-made of concrete or brick•Centered around a central court•Shops and taverns on the ground floor, living quarters on the second story•Not as private, for craftsmen and merchants

Market Gate from Miletus (restored) c.160 AD

Late Roman Architecture•Up until the the end of the 1st century AD, Roman architecture stayed true to Greek orders and aesthetics•New architecture was more imaginative-especially in the African and Asiatic part of the empire•Market Gate- shape derived from Roman theater design

•A continuous in and out rhythm of recesses and projections