ANCIENT ROMAN ART

Theories & Interpretations

• Roman art was primarily a tool of political proganda (statues, reliefs, monuments) often glorified emperors, military victories, and Roman values.

• Roman art heavily borrowed from Greek art, making many copies of Greek sculptures.

• Historical narratives seen of Roman triumphal arches provides insight into Roman culture and military power.

• Roman architecture shows a preference for large public monuments.

• Romans use of concrete and other enigneering marvels such as the arch and dome have lead to the construction of large and complex structures.

Style Characteristics

• Although Romans did copy many Greek sculptures, they were focused on advancing realistic concepts such as foreshortening and perspective as seen in their mural wall paintings and mosaic narratives

• The veristic portrait busts emphasized individulaism, depicting wrinkles, age, and other specific facial features unique to the individual

• Preferred continuous narrative compositional layouts for stone reliefs depicting military campaings, political events, or mythological tales

• Art often depicted emperors with divine attributes and idealization, reinforcing their god-like status (evident in statues, coins, reliefs)