Etruscan Art

Temple of Minerva Location

veii near Rome, Italy

Temple of Minerva Creator

Etruscan sculptor Vulca

Temple of Minerva Process/Materials

wood, mud brick, or tufa (volcanic rock)

Temple of Minerva Form

Model presented is recreated by Vitruvius (first century Roman architect B.C.E) as a drawing

Temple is raised on a podium; defining the entrance

Temple of Minerva Function

Temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva, the Etruscan equivalent to the Greek Athena

Temple of Minerva C and I

Steps in front direct attention to the deep porch 

Influences of Greek architecture in the columns and pediments, columns are unfluted, made of wood, not marble as in Greece

Three doors represented three gods. The interior is divided into spaces

The Etruscan capitals are called the Tuscan order and are a variation of Greek capitals 

Apollo from Veii process

terra cotta casting

Apollo from Veii Form

• Figure has spirit, strides quickly forward

• Archaic Greek Smile

• Meant to be seen from below

• Tightly fitting garment

• Hair in knots, dangles down around shoulders

Apollo from Veii Function

• Stood on the roof of the temple of Minerva

• One of Four large figures that once stood on the temple

Apollo from Veii C and I

May have been carved by Vulcan of Veii, the most famous Etruscan sculptor of the age

Sarcophagus of the Spouses Process

Terra cotta

Sarcophagus of the Spouses Form

Full Length portraits

Great concentration on the upper bodies, less on the legs

Bodies make an unnatural L-shape with the legs

Broad shoulders; knotted hair; simple anatomical details 

Sarcophagus of the Spouses Function

Sarcophagus of a married couple. Their ashes are placed inside

Sarcophagus of the Spouses C and I

Both once held objects in their hands- perhaps other theories suggest the woman is holding a bottle of perfume or a pomegranate

Depicts ancient tradition of reclining while eating in which men and woman ate together, unlike in ancient Greece 

Symbiotic relationship: man has a protective arm around the woman, the woman feeds the man; this reflects the high standing women had in Etruscan society 

The items they are reclining upon (wineskins) are a symbol of sharing wine and funerary rituals 

Made in four separate pieces that are joined together 

Tomb of Triclinium Location

Tarquinia, Italy

Tomb of Triclinium Materials

Tufa and Fresco

Fresco

a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.

Tomb of Triclinium Form

Ancient convention of men painted in darker colors than women

Polychrome checkerboard pattern on ceiling; circles symbolize time 

Tomb of Triclinium Function

Painted tomb in an Etruscan necroppolis

Tomb of Triclinium C and I

Couples recline while eating in the ancient manner

Perhaps a funeral banquet is intended-but the emotions are of celebration 

Dancing figures play musical instruments in festive celebration of the dead

Trees spring up between the main figures and shrubbery grows beneath the reclining couches. Perhaps referencing a rural setting

Named after a triclinium, which is an ancient Roman dining table