Etruscan and Roman Republic Art

Sarcophagus with Reclining Couple

Cerveteri, ca. 520 BCE Etruscan

• Terracotta; found in a tomb.

• Husband and wife shown together—unusual compared to Greek funerary art.

• Shows Etruscan focus on life, banquets, and intimacy, not death.

Tomb of the Leopards (interior)

Tarquinia, ca. 480–470 BCE Etruscan

• Fresco walls of an elite tomb.

• Banqueters, musicians, dancers; emphasis on joyful afterlife.

• Leopards guard the space (symbol of protection).

Capitoline Wolf

Rome, ca. 500–480 BCE Etruscan

• Bronze; symbol of Rome’s origin myth (Romulus & Remus; babies added later).

• Fierce, alert wolf—emphasizes Roman virtue of strength and watchfulness.

• Probably Etruscan craftsmanship.

Temple of Portunus (Fortuna Virilis)

Rome, ca. 75 BCE. Roman Republic

• Best example of Roman Republican temple type.

• Pseudoperipteral: engaged columns along sides.

• Blend of Greek (columns) + Etruscan (high podium, single staircase).

• Imitation marble using stucco.

Head of an Old Man (Osimo)

Mid-1st c. BCE Roman Republic

• Extreme verism: wrinkles, sagging skin, age emphasized.

• Republican values: wisdom, experience, gravitas.

• Portraits of elite senators.

Dionysiac Mystery Frieze

Villa of the Mysteries, ca. 60–50 BCE. Roman Republic.

• Second Style wall painting (illusionistic).

• Initiation rites of the cult of Dionysus.

• Life-sized figures interacting across the walls.

• Emphasis on drama, ritual, and psychological intensity.

Alexander Mosaic (Battle of Issus)

Copy of ca. 310 BCE painting; mosaic in Pompeii Roman Republic

• Depicts Alexander vs. Darius III.

• Tesserae mosaic with foreshortening, complex reflections, movement.

• Propaganda celebrating heroic leadership.

Pont du Gard

Nîmes, 16 BCE. Roman Republic

• Roman aqueduct and bridge.

• Demonstrates engineering skill; gravity-fed water system.

• Perfectly cut stone; no mortar required.