Etruscan and Roman Art: Architecture, Sculpture, and Cultural Influences

Etruscan influence on culture

Roman culture

Etruscan vs. Greek women's lives

Etruscan women enjoyed significantly higher social status, independence, and freedom (attending public banquets, sporting events, and holding property) compared to Greek women, who were largely confined to the home.

Function of a fibula (Fig. 6-2)

A decorative clasp or pin used to fasten garments or cloaks.

Features of Etruscan columns

Tuscan order columns: unfluted wooden shafts, simple bases, simple capital, and widely spaced.

Tomb type at Cerveteri cemetery

Tumulus (plural: tumuli) — large, round mound tombs carved into tufa rock.

Pronounced body parts in Etruscan tomb paintings

Hands and feet (often drawn disproportionately large with exaggerated gestures).

Material of Sarcophagus with Reclining Couple (Fig. 6-5)

Painted terracotta (baked clay).

Placement of Etruscan architectural sculptures

On the roof peak/gables of the temple (acroteria), rather than inside the pediment like Greek temples.

Etruscan temple column style

Doric order (specifically modified as the Tuscan order with unfluted shafts and bases).

Material of the Chimera of Arezzo

Bronze.

Chapter 7: Roman Art

Colossal structure for gladiatorial fights

Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater).

Material enabling colossal Roman structures

Concrete (opus caementicium).

Reason for Roman persecution of Christians

Christians refused to worship the official Roman state gods or pay homage to the Emperor as divine, which was viewed as treason/subversion against the state.

Four Roman mural painting styles

First Style (Incrustration/Masonry style: imitates colored marble panels); Second Style (Architectural style: creates 3D illusionistic vistas/perspectives); Third Style (Ornate/Intimate style: delicate, monochromatic backgrounds with small framed scenes); Fourth Style (Intricate/Eclectic style: combines elements of all previous styles with theatrical architectural illusions).

Encaustic technique

A painting method using pigments mixed with hot liquid wax applied to a surface.

Man with portrait busts of his ancestors (Fig. 7-7)

Demonstrates the Roman tradition of verism (hyper-realistic portraiture) and ancestor worship (patricians displaying wax/marble portrait masks [imagines] of their ancestors to show lineage and social status).

Legendary founders of Rome

Romulus and Remus.

Chapter 8: Early Christian Art

Common subject of Fig. 8-6 and Fig. 8-7

The Good Shepherd (Christ depicted as a shepherd guiding/protecting his flock).

Monotheism

The belief in and worship of a single, all-powerful God.

Diptych

An artwork consisting of two hinged panels or tablets.

Prefiguration

A prophetic representation or foreshadowing of New Testament events through Old Testament stories (e.g., Jonah and the whale foreshadowing Christ's death and resurrection).

Mosaic

Artworks created by embedding small colored pieces of stone, glass, or tile (tesserae) into a surface.

Purpose of the Edict of Milan (313 CE)

To establish religious tolerance across the Roman Empire, effectively legalizing Christianity.

Interpretation of vineyard scenes at Santa Costanza (Fig. 8-11)

Dionysian pagan grape harvesting transformed into a Christian symbol of the Eucharist (the wine representing the Blood of Christ) and eternal life.

Depiction role of Christ in Early Christian art

As the Good Shepherd or as a young teacher/philosopher, before being depicted with royal imperial imagery.

Color associated with the Roman emperor

Purple (and gold).

Subterranean burial chambers

Catacombs.

Chapter 9: Byzantine Art

Role of Christ as Pantokrator

"Ruler of All" or "Almighty" — Christ depicted as the supreme judge and divine ruler of the universe.

Event causing major Byzantine art loss

The Iconoclastic Controversy (Iconoclasm — the deliberate destruction of religious icons/images).

Architectural support for Hagia Sophia's dome

Pendentives (curved triangular wall sections transitioning a square base into a circular dome).

Overlapping of Justinian and Bishop (San Vitale, Fig. 9-13)

Symbolizes the shared power and balance/tension between secular (imperial state) authority and sacred (church) authority.

Biblical figure associated with Mt. Sinai monastery

Moses (who received the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai).

Byzantine foothold city in Italy

Ravenna.

City laid to waste during the Fourth Crusade

Constantinople (sacked in 1204).

Material of Archangel Michael artwork (Fig. 9-2)

Ivory (an ivory diptych leaf).

Continuous narrative

The depiction of the same figure multiple times within a single visual frame or scene to show different points in a story.

Monasteries

Religious communities/complexes where monks lived, worked, and prayed in seclusion; typically located in remote, isolated, or difficult-to-reach geographic locations (such as mountains or deserts).

Chapter 10: Islamic Art

Structure where Muslims gather for prayer

Mosque (Masjid).

Islamic holy text

The Quran (Koran).

Decoration of Samarqand ware plate (Fig. 10-21)

Calligraphy / Arabic script (Kufic script) around the border.

Features of the Ardabil Carpet (Fig. 10-31)

One of the oldest/largest Islamic carpets, featuring a central golden medallion surrounded by floating ovals, a field of floral/vine motifs, and two hanging lamps of unequal sizes.

Standard mosque features

Mihrab (a decorative niche in the qibla wall indicating the direction of Mecca); Mihrab dome (a dome overhead signaling the sacred area around the mihrab); Hypostyle hall (a large hall filled with columns supporting a roof); Minaret (a tall tower attached to a mosque from which the call to prayer is issued).

Basic design inspiration for mosques

The home/courtyard of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.

Jerusalem building sacred to 3 religions

The Dome of the Rock.