1. Roman Sculpture

2. INNOVATIONS IN ROMAN SCULPTURE
•Sculpture applied to architecture (like arches)
to animate the architecture and highlight
Roman victories (ie: Arch of Constantine)
•Designed hollowed-out column with banded
narrative relief sculptures spiraling around
exterior (ie: Column of Trajan- 1st one).
•Evolution of sculptural styles that follow the
eras of Roman history
•ERAS: Republican, Early and High Imperial,
Late Imperial

3. REPUBLICAN SCULPTURE
•Busts of noblemen (VERISTIC sculptures) are
strikingly and unflatteringly realistic –age of man
looks enhanced - may have been “idealized”:
Republicans valued wisdom, determination, and
experience, which these works seem to possess
•Republican full-length statues concentrate on the
heads
•Bodies occasionally classically idealized,
symbolizing valor and strength
•Romans had great respect for ancestors: Figures
sometimes seen holding busts of their ancestors in
their hands as a sign of their heritage

4. VERISTIC Roman Busts
•Realism in the portrayal shows influence of Hellenistic Greek and
late Etruscan---Extremely realistic face
•Bulldog-like features, overhanging flesh, deep crevices in face
•Full of experience, morality, courage, responsibility, and wisdomtraits Roman patricians would have desired
•Features may have been exaggerated by artist to enhance these
virtues
Bust of a Roman
Bust of a Roman
Senator, 100 BCE
Senator, 100 BCE
Portrait Bust of a
Portrait Bust of a
Man, 100 BCE
Man, 100 BCE

5. •Unmistakable purely Roman style of
portraits
•Detailed record of “facial
topography”
•Designed not to bring out emotion
like Hellenic sculpture, but to show a
Roman personality-rugged, stern,
iron-willed, authoritative
•Roman custom- at death, a waxen
image was taken of the head of the
family, this was then preserved in a
special shrine in the house- none
remain
•Towards the 1st century BC, as the
Republican era came to a close,
people felt the need to record these
images in stone, to prove their
ancient lineage

6. •Shows the tradition of Roman figure with busts
•The wax images weren’t works of art- they were just
copies of the face-when they were put into marble, the
faces took on a spiritual quality
•The waxes were often copied in marble many timesuniqueness was not an important Roman goal
•Unknown Roman holding the heads of his ancestors
(probably his father and grand father)
•Somber faces and grave demeanor project a spirit of
patriarchal dignity
•Sculptor was interested in documentary-style realism
and accentuating rugged, stern, “Roman”qualities
Roman Patrician with Bust of his Ancestors
100 BCE (1st century BCE), marble, life-size

7. Pompey the Great
Roman Sculpture

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Portrait of Pompey the Great was originally
located in Rome.
The sculpture is made of marble.
This sculpture is a copy of the Roman
original, made in the verism style
(meticulous realism).
This sculpture was made to commemorate
the general, and one of three rulers of
Rome.
The artist achieved this purpose because it’s
a realistic piece, bringing immortality to the
man’s image.
The extreme realism is a unique feature for
this piece. Not to mention his detailed locks
of hair and forehead wrinkles.
This sculpture compares to other Roman
works of art mostly with its realism and
attention to detail. The human face is calm,
but beautiful.
Part of Roman culture was to make
important figures look grand and noble, and
the sculptor certainly succeeded with this
piece. The idealized hair was also common,
but the warts and small eyes of Pompey
were indiviual details that were included for
importance.

9. EARLY AND HIGH IMPERIAL SCULPTURE
•Emperors portrayed differently than gruff
Republican busts
•Emperors divinity descended from gods!
•Inspiration from classical Greece
•Roman sculptors adopt contrapposto, ideal
proportions, and heroic poses of Greek
statuary
•Forms became less individualized,
references to the divine
Augustus of Primaporta, 20 CE, marble
Copy of a bronze original

10. Augustus of Primaporta
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Early Empire
6’8”, marble
Perhaps a copy of a bronze statue
of 20 BCE
Idealization of Augustus,
illustrates the use of imperial
portraiture for propaganda and
perfect physique (influenced by
Greeks). Different from
individualized portrait style that
was popular
Copies Aulus Metellous gesture
and pose and ideal proportions
developed by Greek Polykleitos
Cupid, son of the goddess Venus,
rides dolphin next to emperor's
right leg, a reference to the claim
of the emperor’s family to descent
from the goddess Venus.
Discovered in Livia’s villa at
Primaporta, near Rome. Early 1st
century CE. Musei Vaticani,
Braccio Nuovo, Rome.

11. • Wears a cuirass (torso armor)- may
have held a commander’s baton or
the Parthian standard, his feet are
bare, suggesting his elevation to
divine status after death.
• All sculptures of him in his youth
• Show him governing by reason and
persuasion, not autocratic power.
Promoting peace.
Copy at Vatican Museum,
Rome

12. The Arch of Titus
●Originally located in Rome
●The arch is now located on a prominant
hill in Rome called the Velian Hill
●The arch is made out of Pentelic marble
●Was built in 81-85 A.D. during the
Augustine era
●Was built right after the god Titus had died
to represent his achievements and in memory of him
and to commemorate the victory of the jewish war
●Portrays this by having At the inside of the arch are
two panels with reliefs. One depicts the triumphal
procession with the spoils taken from the Second
Temple in Jerusalem - the seven-branched
candelabrum or Menorah, the silver trumpets and the
Table of the Shewbread.
●The other one shows Titus in a chariot accompanied
by the goddess Victoria and the goddess Roma.
●Has various unique features which include the
spoils taken from the second temple in Jeruselum
similar to the Arc de Triomphe in
Paris
Aspects of the culture
represented include the amount
of detail put in, and how the
Romans liked to rember
successful people and
accomplishments
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13. Spoils from the Temple of Solomon
-Located in The Arch of Titus (Rome)
-Relief on the inside walls
-Titans capture of Jerusalem ended a
fierce campaign to crush a revolt of the
Jews in Palestine
-shows Romans destroying the Second
Temple in Jerusalem
- “flaunting the booty” as they carried
it through Rome
The Arch of Titus
-Menorah dominates the scene
-Made of white marble (height:
6’8”)
-sculptors of the Arch of Titus
showed the spatial relationships
among figures

14. A Young Flavian Woman
c. 90 CE – Museo Capitolino, Rome. Marble
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Created during the Flavian dynasty as a part of Roman realism
Purpose: to set an example for the ideal of the time
– Sharp features, but smooth face = beauty
– Hairstyle = latest fashion
• Realism, but unlike other portraits at the time, shows ideals; too idealized to be
completely lifelike
• Chisels and drills used to sculpt perfect curls in her hair
• Represents Rome’s culture of fashion (complicated hairstyle) and beauty (ideal facial
features)

15. Middle-Aged Flavian Woman – 1
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Century CE, Marble, Museo Gregoriano, Profano, Rome
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Veristic characteristics of the Republican period
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Portraits commissioned to depict people as they
were in their every day
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The attention to detail in the hair and face reflects
highly skilled chiseling techniques
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Designed to show the commissioner “as she
appeared in her own mirror”
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The sagging skin and clear wrinkles, while not
singularly unique to this sculpture, is indicative of
Republican period sculpture and its desire for
veristic depictions
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Clear that the subject did not care very much
about her appearance
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Idealized to portray a long life of accomplishment

16. Column of Trajan (Trajan’s Column)
• Erected in 113 AD in honor of
Emperor Trajan
• Originally located at the Forum of
Trajan
• Commemorates Trajan’s victories in
Dacia (Romania)
– Romans had a tradition of
commemorating important events
• Propagandist movement
• Stands over 100 feet high
• Decorated with a winding strip of
marble relief sculpture (frieze)
– Made it uniquely Roman
• Serves a funerary monument to the
Emperor

17. Column of Trajan
Sculptural scenes on the column were adorned with paint and gilding, and
a gold-covered statue of Trajan sat on top of the capital. They document
the stages of the military campaigns in Dacia chronologically.

18. The Unswept Floor
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Mosaic, 2nd century CE, attributed to
Herakleitos, a Greek living in Rome
From the floor of a dining room,
covering almost the entire floor
Copy of original painting by 2nd century
BCE artist Sosos
Popular type of art for centuries
Mosaics of (probably other) unswept
floors attested to in Pliny the Elder’s
Natural History
Depicts “past gourmet pleasures”
Possibly conspicuous consumption—the
owner can give lavish banquets (also, can
afford to commission this kind of art)
Displays willingness to waste food
Floor art gives guests “small talk” topics
Roman culture puts high value on
semipublic display of wealth, taste in
rooms and gardens and art collections
This mouse is adorable.

19. Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius
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The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is an ancient Roman
statue in the Campidoglio (Rome, Italy)
Made of bronze & stands 4.24 m tall; The statue was formerly
clad in gold, an old local myth says that the statue will turn gold
again on the Judgement Day
Influenced by Roman equestrian statues, Marcus Aurelius and
Represents Charlemagne or Charles the Bald
The overall theme is one of power and divine grandeur
The figure stresses imperial imagery of holding the orb, a
symbol of the world in the rider’s hands.
The rider is much larger then the actual horse that it sits on, sits
up right with little attention to the natural movement of the
horse
Although there were many equestrian imperial statues, they
rarely survived because it was practice to melt down bronze
statues for reuse as coin or new sculptures in the late empire.
Statues were also destroyed because medieval Christians
thought that they were pagan idols.
• The statue of Marcus Aurelius was not melted down
because in the Middle Ages it was incorrectly thought to
portray the first Christian Emperor Constantine
Can now be found in the Louvre, Paris.
Can now be found in the Louvre, Paris.

20. Commodus as Hercules
• Recovered in an underground room of
the Horti Lamiani complex (Rome)
• Imperial portrait
• Acted as propaganda – Commodus bad
leader in real life. He was “insane”
– Glorifying Commodus
• Commodus compared to Hercules
– Similar characteristics like the lion's
skin over his head, the club in this
right hand, and the golden apples of
Hesperides in his left hand as a
reminder of the Greek hero's feats
• Shown through a wealth of symbols that
impose the divine cult of the emperor
• The whole bust shows him as powerful,
arrogant, god-like, idealized
• Realism – extreme detail, like most
other busts/portraits
• Idealism, praising of the leaders
180-193 AD, Marble

21. The Family of Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, and their sons; Geta & Caracalla
From Egypt; c. 200 BCE
• Tempura paint on wood
– Made with egg whites natural pigments
• Severan Dynasty, third century;
– Fayum region in NW Egypt
– Imperial genre
• Family portrait;
– Shows distinctive family
– High authority
• Emphasizes wealth and power;
– Jewels, crowns, beards, direct forceful expressions
• Reflects the changes in imperial rule, contrast
• Son Geta’s face has been scratched out
• Shows royal family in distinctive high class form with strict
expressions

22. -in Rome, 2nd largest Roman public bath: covered 33 acres
-built between 212-216 AD, functional for over 300 years
-planned by Septimius Severus
-built as political propaganda for Emperor Caracalla
-sense of unity: all social classes enjoyed it, furthered love for Emperor
-originally decorated with statues: Farnese Bull and Farnese Hercules
-library, pools, gyms, brothels=multifunctional rec center
-like other Roman libraries, one room for Roman text and one for Latin text
-Pozzolana, Quick lime, Tuff, Basalt for foundations, Brick pieces for facing, Large Bricks, Marble
columns in Central block, Marble for columns and decorations, granite columns
-functional until Goths destroyed aqueducts, cutting off water supply
-inspiration for St George's Hall in Liverpool and Pennsylvania Station in New York City
Baths of
Caracalla

23. Philip the Arab, Marble, height 26” (71.1 cm).
Musei Vaticani, Braccio Nuovo, Rome
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Free standing sculpture
Imperial Portrait
From the 3rd century
It is of the emperor Philip who ruled from 244-49 CE
Philip depicted as a soldier-emperor
This free standing sculpture is used to commemorate
Emperor Philip
• Philip seems tense and worried, suggesting that this is
portraying him as a troubled man at troubled times –
he murdered his predecessor
• Guile, deceit, and fear are shown through Philip’s
twisted brow, sidelong upward glance, quizzical lips,
and tightened jaw muscles ( shows verism)
• Realism/verism is continued to be shown in this
piece, similar to other Roman pieces

24. Family Group

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may have been made in Alexandria,
Egypt
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engraved gold leaf sealed between glass
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the subjects are rendered as individuals,
although the artist has emphasized their
great almond eyes
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most of the time were narratives and
more relaxed
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not a narrative, serious features
contradict
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Roman culture had more family
oriented works
250 A.D
reflect the advice of Philostratus
used to mark and decorate graves in the
Catacombs of Rome by pressing them
into the mortar

26. LATE IMPERIAL SCULPTURE
•Reflects anarchy of Roman stateslowly abandoned classical tradition
•Figures lack individuality and crowded
tightly together
•Everything pushed forward in picture
plane
•Depth and recession rejected
•Proportions truncated, contrapposto
ignored (gasp!)
•Bodies almost lifeless behind masking
drapery
•Emperors increasingly represented as
military figures rather than civilian
rulers
The Tetrarchs, 305 CE
-made of Porphyry (stone)

27. The Tetrarchs
• Originally located in
Constantinople
• Sculpted from Porphyry
• c. 300 CE, Imperial genre
• Shows unity of the tetrarchs
• Proclaims peace through
concerted strength and vigilance
• Simplification of natural forms to
geometric shapes-blocky looking
• Disregard of normal human
proportions
• Represents the Roman
government at this time
• A piece of propaganda and a
summary of state of affairs
• Emphasis on message
5’ 1’’ tall

28. Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus
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Originally found near Rome (c. 250
CE)
Carved from Marble (aprox. 5’ tall)
This relief sculpture was a funerary
sculpture
Shows Roman power and pride (the
Romans are organized on the top
crushing the scraggy haired
barbarians)
Shows roots of Hellenistic
Pergamon
Romans unrealistically squeezed
together
Common to have complexity
ranging from geometric shapes to
scenes involving many figures on
funerary vases.
Young Roman commander (top
center) recalls the Equestrian Statue
of Marcus Aurelius
Represents importance of a strong
military to the Romans

29. Constantine The Great
(Colossus of Constantine)
By: Guillermo Lopez-Vila

30. Artist
Speculated
Michaelangelo
Location
Originally in Basilica of
Muxentius
Now in Palazzo dei
Conservatori
Medium
White marble head, legs, and
hands
Wooden body
Chronology
312-315 CE
Purpose
Decorate Basilica in
commemoration of
Emperor of Rome
Unique Features
Wooden body to
make lighter and
fast production;
eventually burned
like roofs
Similar Works
Augusts, Constantine
is more stylized
rather than typical
look of mix between
realistic and
idealism; abstract
Represented Culture
Believed to symbolize
changing of culture
towards dawn of
Christianity

31. Constantine The Great
(Colossus of Constantine)
By: Mrs. Smolinski, because she
couldn’t find Guillermo’s slide until
the last minute, sorry Guillermo. Now
you’ll know a ton about Constantine

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8’6” head
Whole statue must have been over 30’ seated!
Part of an enormous figure that sat as the focal
point of the Basilica Nova in Rome
Commissioned by Constantine himself- imperial
propaganda
Parts of body that show were done in marble
(head, knee cap, arms, hands, feet)
Wooden elements of torso are now lost (might
have been covered in bronze)
Huge size
Idealized, timeless
Features of traditional Roman portraiture
combined with abstract qualities of Late
Imperial, like the Tetrarchs
Hair sits on head like hat
Heavy jaw, hooked nose, jutting chin- rigid,
symmetrical pattern, simplified into geometric
shapes and arcs.
Projects imperial power and dignity- no hint of
human frailty or imperfection – similar imagery
on Arch of Constantine!

33. Caracalla, 211-217 CE, marble
• Portrait bust renders
physical likeness as well
as character portrayal
• Ruthless tyrant in real life
• In sculpture: hard-nosed,
stern, suspicious face
• Brutal ruler who ordered
the death of his opponents,
including his brother and
wife!
• Downturned moustache,
lines over eyes- harsh
characterization

34. Priestess of Bacchus
right panel of diptych, 390-401 CE, ivory,
about 12x5 inches
• Bacchus = Roman god of wine/intoxication
• Stately, elegantly attired priestess burns
incense at a decorated outdoor altar
• Wreath of ivy on head – sacred to Bacchus
• Assisted by small child
• Carefully carved drapery and foliage
(similar to reliefs of Ara Pocis)
• DIPTYCH = a pair of panels attached with
hinges
• This diptych was a symbol of unification
among two families (through marriage?) –
one family’s name inscribed at top of each
panel (this one- “Symmachorum)