Roman art spanned nearly 1,000 years across three continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia.
It dates back to 509 B.C., the founding of the Roman Republic, and lasted until 330 A.D.
Roman art was influenced by many cultures due to Rome being a melting pot of civilization.
The Romans were open to artistic influences from surrounding Mediterranean cultures.
Relationship between Roman and Greek Art
Greek art significantly impacted Roman art practices.
Despite Rome's invasion of Greece, Rome adopted much of Greece's cultural and artistic heritage.
Romans commissioned copies of famous Greek works, and Roman marble versions exist of lost Greek bronze originals, like Polykleitos' "Doryphoros" statue.
*A copy of statue of "Doryphoros" from the Roman period of the artist (Polykleitos). Naples National Archaeological Museum. Material: Marble. Height: 2.12 meters (6 feet 11 inches).
Romans did not consider copies less valuable than originals, but they often made changes, often as a joke, by subverting the serious nature of Greek art.
Roman artists adapted other cultures and added humor, making Roman art unique.
Roman Art Features
Roman artists embraced classical art from the Greek classical and Hellenistic periods.
Classic elements:
Soft lines and elegant fabrics.
Perfect bare bodies.
Impressively natural shapes and balanced proportions.
Emperor Augustus was impressed by classical art, as seen in the Augustus of Primaporta statue.
The Augustus of Primaporta statue was created at the end of emperor Augustus's life, yet his young-age statue was embodied and showed him a perfect medallion and a sporty body, and all the features of classical art were used on it.
Emperor Hadrian, known as "philhellene" (lover of all things Greek), wore a Greek "philosopher's beard" and decorated his palace with Greek paintings.
The empire eventually moved away from classical influences and reverted to antiquity art.
Example: Chariot procession of Septimus Severus sculpture.
Characteristics of Ancient Roman Arts
Key characteristics:
Front-facing show
Hardness and non-flowing of fabrics and clothing
Deep lines etched, moving away from natural shapes
People appearing in groups, lacking individuality
Media and Materials
Roman art used a wide range of media and materials, including fresco, mosaics, and marble.
They also produced works in silver, bronze, and used precious stones.
Art was displayed publicly in homes for presentation and education.
Decorations in homes included frescoes, mosaics, and sculptures integrated with bronze statues and silver bowls.
Wall and Floor Drawings
Drawings spread on walls and floors of palaces.
Wall painting became prevalent in interior decoration.
Emphasis was placed on highlighting psychological and emotional expressions on faces.
Pictures were decorated with painted decorative frames.
Roman Art Subjects
Common topics:
Important and famous ancestral statues
Legendary and historical scenes
Silent nature and landscapes
These topics expressed the public's intellectual knowledge and cultural awareness.
Roman Decorative Elements
Plant Elements
Romans used elements from Greek art, such as countess paper snails, Anthemone leaves, ivy, grape leaves, lotus, and burdy.
Leaf necklaces, flowers, and fruits were used, often interspersed with thin strips in bends.
Sometimes, elements included human heads, animals, birds, or sea shells.
Animal Elements
Heads of animals, women, and children with plant snail bodies were used.
Ektens were used in stereoscopic decorations on building facades and water fountain designs for palaces and gardens.
Geometric Elements
Circles and spirals were used extensively.
Drawings were distinguished by good composition and uniform distribution.
Most motifs were borrowed from the Greek with slight changes.
Vertical acanthus leaf and spiral motifs were used in Corinthian and composite column capitals.
Roman Art Colors
Prevailing colors were white, margarine, and violet.
These colors adorned clothes and indicated social status due to their rarity and expense.
Crimson, red, blue, brown, and yellow were also used.
Court men in the second and third centuries A.D. did not adhere to specific colors in their clothes.
Women's colors varied, with brides wearing white.
Dark colors like brown, black, and lead were used for lower layers in ionics and cloaks.
Colors used in ionica and estola included white, purple, yellow, black, sulfur yellow, orange, turquoise, dark sea green, or bluish-green.
The ionica and estola were sometimes yellow with a white or green belt.
The damachia was initially the natural color of cloth but later used bright colors.