Etruscan Sculpture & Painting module 6 done

Etruscan Bronze Sculptures

  • Classical period (480 to 300 BCE): Etruscan art known for hollow cast bronze sculptures and utilitarian objects.
  • Mirrors and cistae: Engraved with rich imagery, accentuated by white substance in outlines.
  • Human subject sculptures: Ranging from naturalistic to exaggerated forms.
  • Mythical creatures: Incorporated from Greek and Eastern traditions.
  • Cultural styles: Included Orientalizing, Archaic, and Classical motifs.
  • Survival: Few sculptures survived due to melting down for other purposes.

Lost-Wax Casting (Cire Perdue)

  • Oldest method for producing metal sculptures.
  • Material: Any liquefiable and solidifiable material can be cast, but metal (bronze) is the most common
  • Process:
    • Clay mold made, coated in wax, outer layer of plaster applied.
    • Metal rods fasten the shell, wax rods vent the mold.
    • Intense heat melts wax, creating channels for molten metal.
    • Metal cools, mold broken, holes filled, sculpture polished.
  • Uniqueness: Produces one-of-a-kind sculptures because the mold is destroyed.

Chimera of Arezzo

  • Discovered in Arezzo in 1553, authenticity questioned due to lack of comparable Etruscan sculptures.
  • Inscription: Marks it as a votive offering to Tinia (Etruscan Jupiter).
  • Depiction: Mythical beast with lion body/head, serpent tail, goat head on back.
  • Lycia: Beast plagued Lycia, slain by Bellerophon.
  • Tail: The serpent tail is an 18th-century restoration.

Artistic Techniques Demonstrated in the Chimera

  • Liveliness: Captures the expressiveness of Etruscan terracotta sculpture in bronze.
  • Modeling: Well-modeled figure with tense muscles and roaring faces.
  • Visible details: Ribs are visible, wound on rump bleeds.
  • Lion's posture: Crouching and looking up, suggesting a Bellerophon figure.
  • Stylization: Face and mane stylized, reminiscent of Near Eastern depictions of lions.

Etruscan Art Under Roman Influence

  • 509 BCE: Etruscan kings expelled from Rome, Roman Republic established.
  • 4th Century BCE: Rome expands, Veii falls in 396 BCE.
  • Roman wars: Etruria conquered by 1st century BCE.
  • Cultural exchange: Roman culture adapted Etruscan customs, Etruscan society influenced by Roman culture.
  • Art style: Adopted Roman style, reflecting Roman values.
  • Violence: Increased violence in funerary images due to the threat of invasion.

Funerary Art and Sarcophagi

  • Change in subject matter during Roman period.
  • Figures: Charun and Vanth, demons of the underworld, depicted more often.
  • Charun:
    • Often depicted with blue skin (putrefying flesh) and wings.
    • Carries torches (light way to underworld) or keys (open door to underworld).
    • Guide between living and dead.
    • Name likely derived from Greek Charon.
  • Vanth:
    • Appears uniquely Etruscan.
    • Theories associate her with avenging Greek Furies, but role as benevolent guide contradicts this.
    • Gentler apotropaic figure, offering reassurance of ally in afterlife.
  • Shift in afterlife depiction: From joyous to menacing, after Roman incursions.

Sarcophagus of Lars Pulena

  • Charun and Vanth: Appear on stone and terracotta sarcophagi.
  • Charun: Sometimes with a hammer, depicted swinging at Lars Pulena's head.
  • Apotropaic device: Violent image may ward off evil.
  • Violence level: Mimics increased violence in Etruscan society due to Roman influence.
  • Vanth: Winged representations at either end of frieze.
  • Lid: Portrait of deceased with somber expression, unlike earlier Sarcophagus of the Spouses.
  • Roman republican portrait style: Age equated with wisdom and leadership.
  • Physical features: Pot belly signifies wealth; holds scroll with accomplishments.

Cinerary Urns

  • Shape: Assumed sarcophagus shapes.
  • Images: Topped with images of deceased in Roman dress.
  • Relief-carved scenes: Battle, violence, or Charun and Vanth.
  • Woman's attire: More akin to Roman matron.
  • Shift in funerary practices: Etruscans adopted Roman cremation and urn storage, unlike earlier tomb practices.

Global Connections: Funerary Burial Items and Grave Goods

  • Historical insight: Burials/tombs provide insight, but archaeological norms are changing (preservation, returning sacred items).
  • Grave goods: Items buried with rulers/loved ones, vary across cultures, tied to spiritual beliefs.
  • Moche Royal Tombs of Sipan: Gold- and turquoise-laden jewelry, accessories, figurines (300-700 BCE).
  • Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng State: 15,000 items (musical instruments, bronze vessels, gold/jade objects, lacquered coffins) from late 5th century BCE.
  • Byzantine burials in Egypt: Elaborately decorated clothing preserved, indicating even moderate families spent money on ornate garments.

Bucchero

  • Distinctive black, burnished ceramic ware.
  • Signature ceramic of the Etruscans.
  • Term: Derives from Spanish "búcaro," meaning ceramic jar or aromatic clay.
  • Period: 7th to 5th centuries BCE.
  • Purpose: Tableware for elite consumption.

Manufacture of Bucchero

  • Black color: Results from firing in a reducing atmosphere (restricted oxygen).
  • Iron oxide: Gives up oxygen molecules, creating the dark color.

Inspiration and Design

  • Inspiration: May draw from metalware vessels, especially silver.
  • Design: Evokes lines and crispness of metallic vessels.
  • Decorative patterns: Incision and rouletting evoke metalliform design tendencies.

Forerunners of Etruscan Bucchero

  • Impasto ceramics: Produced by Villanovan culture (earliest Iron Age culture of central and northern Italy).
  • Buccheroimpasto: Kiln environment allows oxidation, partial reduction, resulting in dark brown to black surface.
  • Burnished surface: Highly burnished, but less refined fabric than true bucchero.

Bucchero Types and Distribution

  • Location: Discovered in Etruria and Latium (modern Tuscany and northern Lazio) in central Italy.
  • Context: Frequently found in funereal contexts.
  • Export: Found in southern France, Aegean, North Africa, and Egypt.