Early Rome (2 artworks) - AP Art History notes 🇮🇹

Intro to the Roman Empire 🇮🇹

  • ^^Verism:^^ ^^extremely or strictly^^ ^^naturalistic.^^

^^age = knowledge.^^

^^extreme realism^^ ^^=^^ ^^Verism.^^

  • ^^high contrast^^ ^^from the Classical Greek style;^^ ^^idealistic.^^ ^^(^^^^Roman valued^^ **^^naturalism^^ **^^and wisdom through aging).^^
  • The only period that uses Verism.
  • Bulldog-like tenacity (bulldog-like features).

Bust of a Roman Patrician

Head of a Roman Patrician (Otricoli, Italy 🇮🇹 - Roman Republic)

A marble ^^portrait bust^^ of an actual unknown Roman Patrician that shows strong demonstrations of **^^Verisim ^^**and ^^Bulldog-like tenacity.^^

  • Busts like these were placed in homes to honor the person depicted on the bust portrait.

 Head of a Roman Patrician

Key words:

materials/techniques:

marble

^^verism^^ ^^(hyper naturalistic)^^

bust

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^^Verism:^^ ^^extremely or strictly^^ ^^naturalistic.^^

  • wisdom; experience, idealistic to the Romans; ^^Expresses desire of^^ ^^virtues^^ ^^and^^ ^^nobility^^ ^^in every Roman man.^^
  • ^^Bulldog-like tenacity.^^ ^^(Expresses similar facial characteristics of a Bulldog.)^^

image of a bulldog

Bust: a sculpture that only shows the face, head, neck, and the shoulder.

Other facts:

  • a lot of naturalism and aging, lack of hair.
  • inspirations from the ==Hellenistic== style from the Greeks **^^(drama, emotion, naturalism) ^^**except with more Veristic.
  • also drew inspiration from ==Etruscan== style.
  • Romans enjoyed Greek art; made copies of the Greek’s art work.

Atrium of the House of the Vettii (Pompeii, Italy 🇮🇹)

The Atrium is one of the rooms located in the House of the Vettii at Pompeii, Italy. This home was ^^owned by wealthy merchant brothers.^^ ^^(The Conviva brothers), and acted as a 2nd home^^^^.^^

Conviva brothers:

  • Aulus Vettius Retitutus
  • Aulus Vettius Conviva

 Atrium of the House of the Vettii

Form: The house is divided into 3 sections.

additional notes:

Atrium: An open-roofed entrance hall or central court in an ancient Roman house. Contains impluvium pool.

Impluvium: a rectangular pool that collects rainwater through a rectangular opening above.

Peristyle Hall: usually reserved as a private area.

  • outdoor area.

Cubiculum: cubiculums are the private quarters of the house. No windows for privacy.

  • the Romans liked adding plaster paintings to their walls. ^^(similar to^^ ^^Etruscan frescoes^^^^).^^
  • many different styles of fresco paintings.
  • 3 sections: atrium, peristyle hall, cubucula rooms.

  1. Atrium

  2. Peristyle hall

  3. Cubiculum

Floor plan

House of the Vetti floor plan

^^patron: Aulus Vettius Restitutus and A.V. Conviva.^^

  • megalographia: The depiction of great or grand things, such as heroes and gods; painting on a large scale.

house is located in the center of a shopping area

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Roman House architecture:

atrium (entrance room)

peristyle hall (outside halls)

cubucula/cubiculum (Latin word for cubical rooms)

impluvium (opening on the roof to collect rainwater, natural sunlight; placed in the center, impluvium is the rectangular pool)

axial-symmetry

multipurpose building

  • shops around the house; also owned by the Conviva brothers