Roman Art and Archaeology

Villanova Hut Urn from Tarquinia

ca. 900-700 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Villanova Amphora from Tarquinia

ca. 700 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Tomb of Reliefs from Cerveteri

ca. 300-275 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Family Sarcophagus from Cerveteri

ca. 530-510 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Apollo of Veii

ca. 500 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Reclining Couple on a Sarcophagus Lid from Vulci

ca. 300 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Capitoline Wolf from Rome

ca. 500 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Wounded Chimera from Arezzo

ca. 400 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Etruscan Portrait from Manganello

ca. 100 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Etruscan Mirror with Lasa (from the ROM)

ca. 300-200 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Ficoroni Cista, from Palestrina

ca. 350-340 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Todi "Mars," From Velzna

ca. 400 BCE/Etruscans 900-50 BCE

Roman Patrician House from Pompeii

ca. 100 BCE/Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

Bedroom of a Villa at Boscoreale

Mid-First Century BCE/Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

Dionysian Mystery Cult Fresco from Pompeii

ca. 50 BCE/Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

Patrician Carrying Family Portraits from Rome

ca. 50 BCE/Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

Head of an Old Woman from Palombara Sabina

ca. 50-30 BCE/Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

Portrait Bust of Pompey the Great

ca. 55 BCE/Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

Portrait Busts of Julius Caesar

ca. 50 BCE/Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

• Roman Brickworks I: Opus Quadratum

  • Opus = work, quadratum = square

    • Squared work

  • Take rocks that aren't square, make them square, then stack them up to make a building

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

• Roman Brickworks II: Opus Incerntum

  • Uncertain?

    • Irregular work

  • There is Roman concrete (opus caementicum) in the middle that holds the smaller rocks in place

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

• Roman Brickworks III: Opus Reticulatum

  • Looks like a net, diamonds

    • 'Net-like' work

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

• Roman Brickworks IV: Opus Vittatum

  • There is striped brickwork

    • Banded work

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

• Roman Brickworks V: Opus Latericium

  • Looks like ordinary bricks made out of clay

  • Lateritious (English word is lit)

    • Brick work

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

• Roman Brickworks VI: Opus Mixtum

  • Looks like a combination of all the styles

    • Mixed work

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

The First Pompeian Style: Incrustation 

• Painting the wall to look like it is made out of different color stones 

• In the style of masonry 

  • Realistic simulation of marble 

  • Use of multiple, vivid colors  

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

The Second Pompeian Style: Architectural 

• Impression of depth 

• People might have hung up penises? 

• Trompe-l'oeil objects, life-sized figures 

• Characterized by relative perspective 

  • Presents the idea that they are trying to account for perspective! 

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

The Third Pompeian Style: Ornamental 

• No great interest in depth 

• spindly architecture 

  • Lines and columns that are long and stretched out 

• Rectilinear and organic patters 

• Vast, monochromatic backgrounds  

  • Empty space 

• Intricate and beautiful design in the middle of this example 

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

The Fourth Pompeian Style: Intricate 

• Combo of first, second, and third 

  • Very colorful 

  • Perspective: attempts to make a foreground and background with the windows 

  • Long, drawn out lines; complex mythological scene in the center 

• Spindly elements, but complex images 

• Masonry elements included on bottom 

Roman Republic 509-27 BCE

Augustus of Prima Porta, from Rome

ca. 20 BCE-20 CE/Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, 27 BCE-68 CE

Ara Pacis Augustae, from Rome

13 or 9 BCE/Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, 27 BCE-68 CE

The Warren Cup, from Betar

ca. 30 BCE-30 CE/Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, 27 BCE-68 CE

Portrait Bust of Nero

ca. 54-68 CE/Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, 27 BCE-68 CE

The Forum of Augustus, at Rome

42-2 BCE/Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, 27 BCE-68 CE

The Sculptures from the Grotto of Tiberius, at Sperlonga

ca. 14-37 CE/Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, 27 BCE-68 CE

Sculpture of Claudius as Jupiter, from Lanuvium

ca. 50 CE/Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, 27 BCE-68 CE

The Colosseum, from Rome

ca. 70-80 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

The Arch of Titus, Rome

ca. 81 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE 

Portrait of a Flavian Lady, from Rome

ca. 100 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

Portrait of Trajan, from Rome

ca. 100 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

Trajan and Kneeling Captive Phrygian, from Laodicea

ca. 115 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

The Column of Trajan, Rome

ca. 113 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

Portrait of Hadrian, from Rome

ca. 117-138 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

The Pantheon, Rome

ca. 117-138 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

Portrait bust of Antinous from Patras

ca. 130-140 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

Portrait of Antinous from Delphi

ca. 130-140 CE/Flavians to Hadrian, 69-138 BCE

Portrait of Faustina the Elder

ca. 150 CE/Antonines r. 138-192

Portrait of Antoninus Pius, from Rome

ca. 140-150 CE/Antonines r. 138-192

Portrait of Lucius Verus, from Asia Minor

r. 161-169 CE/Antonines r. 138-192

The Fayoum Portraits, from the Fayoum, Egypt

ca. 100-200 CE/Antonines r. 138-192

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, from Rome

r. 161-180 CE/Antonines r. 138-192

The Column of Marcus Aurelius, Rome

ca. 176-193 CE/Antonines r. 138-192

Portrait of Commodus as Hercules, from Rome

ca. 177-192 CE/Antonines r. 138-192

Portrait of Septimius Severus, from Plotinopolis

r. 193-211 CE /Severans r. 193-235 CE

Arch of Septimius Severus, Rome

203 CE/Severans r. 193-235 CE

Severan Tondo, from the Fayoum Egypt

ca. 200 CE/Severans r. 193-235 CE

Portrait of Caracalla, from Rome

r. 198-217 CE /Severans r. 193-235 CE

Baths of Caracalla, Rome

ca. 206-217 CE/Severans r. 193-235 CE

The Farnese Heracles, from Rome

Early Third Century CE/Severans r. 193-235 CE

Portrait of Philip the Arab, from Rome

ca. 244-249 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE 

Bronze Portrait of Trebonianus Gallus (Location Uncertain)

ca. 251-253 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE

'Bikini Girls' Mosaic, from Sicily

ca. 325 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE

The Tetrarchs, from Byzantium / Constantinople

ca. 305 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE

Colossal Statue of Constantine, from Rome

ca. 313 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, from Rome

FROM 359 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE

The Bust of Constantine, from Rome

ca. 306-337 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE

The Ludovisi Sarcophagus, from Rome

ca. 250-260 CE/Late Empire to Constantine, 235-337 CE