Map of Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome holds the territory around the Mediterranean sea. It began with a small Rome Republic from 8th century BC then transition to the greatest Rome Empire around first century AC. Rome civilization had great influence from ancient Greek. Yet, it characterized in a very organized, engineering emphasized, left brain society which greatly reflected in every aspect of design, art and architecture. This blog tends to discuss the style of Rome in these periods in their contents and forms and how they differ from those of Greek’s.
The Aqueducts
Unlike Greeks Monuments, Rome focuses on the structure. The Aqueducts carries fresh water to homes of the wealthy and to public baths in the city. There are eleven such aqueducts that supplied the ancient city of Rome, dating as early as 140 B.C. The image below shows the Aqua Appia which was built in 312 BC to provide the populace of Rome up to 75,537 cubic meters of water per day.
The Aqua Appia, the first Roman aqueduct was built in 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus. It flowed for 16.4 km into the city of Rome through the Porta Maggiore, and emptied into the Forum Boarium, near the Porta Trigemina.
The Colosseum
The sturdy and airy structure for the Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre located in the center of the city of Rome, was built between 75-80 CE. It was built with concrete and stone and formed by series arches on multiple stories with engaged columns that has Greek order from bottom up.
the Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre located in the center of the city of Rome, was built between 75-80 CE.
Similar to the Greek Order, Roman also exercised the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Order. However, the Romans invented concrete and bricks for building material which left the function of the column for only decoration. Those so called engaged columns protruded from the walls and only serves aesthetic purpose.
Engaged Corinthian
Engage column protruded out of the wall
Arch is the most distinguish structure that Rome invented. Arch is designed to distribute weight to the columns on the side and then build against the walls to make a strong structure. The images below on left demonstrated how the force was directed to form the sturdy entrance without lintel. And the image on the right shows how the walls built against the side of the arch to strength the structure.
An extruded arch forms the barrel vault and two barrel vault intersect to each other that form the Groin Vault that functions as some interior space. The revolved arch resulted a Dome which is another great form of architecture that Rome invented.
The Pantheon
Pantheon from Hadrianic Rome c. 124 CE
The Pantheon, was built from 120-124 CE. It has the Greek influence of front pediment and rectangular form with columns around. The back side of the building was constructed like a sphere that cast in ring and moved up with light material. It was huge and so heavy that engineers had to take out little negative space, called coffers, along the walls to reduce the weight of the enormous structure. The image below on the left demonstrated the structure of this glorious building. The image on the right is the front view of the Pantheon. Pantheon is a remarkable achievement of Roman engineering. It has three main architectural components, a rectangular porch with its triangular pediment connects to a cylindrical drum in the main temple structure, and is surmounted by a dome. It also served as a political statement at that time for Rome stability.
Pantheon aerial view
Dome Diagram
Temple
Same to the Greek Temple, the Rome Temple also has pediments and columns from all sides. The difference is the Greek temple can be accessed from all the directions. The Rome temple on the other hand only goes to one direction. There is no windows and only has one door. There is no Metope and triglyph under the pediment instead there is only signature on the Freize.
Temple of Portunus, dating from the first century BC in the Forum Boarium. It has Ionic order and has four columns in the front and seven on the side which did not follow the classic formula (2n+1). It has the steps only at the front which controls the access to the temple.
The Greek Parthenon, built from 447 to 438 BC, Located in Athens, Greece. It has Doric order with some Ionic elements and has steps all around the building which can be accessed from all sides.
The Figure and Portraiture
It is pretty much copy of Greek sculpture, except the Rome would sculpt part of the body. The Rome Republic in favors of neck up culture. The portraiture from this period enlightens the wisdom and focuses on self control and denial. It often being sculpted older than they appear to be to promote the intelligent of the character. The Rome portraiture also has the function of portable so the portraiture could be carried and pray though the city.
Republican Roman marble portrait bust of an old man, Ca. 100 BCE, from Osimo a town and comune of the Marche, Italy, in the province of Ancona
Portrait of Livia was trying to project all the virtues that the Romans valued in a woman. The huge eyes and small mouth made her face somehow distorted. Her hairstyle was fashionable at that time period. The portrait was created not very long after Livia married to Emperor Augustus between 37-31 BC. The image bellow on the right was a drawing I did from another portrait of Livia.
Drawing of Livia by me
Portrait bust of Livia from Rome marble c.37-31 BC
Unlike the nude Greek figure, Romans tend to cover the private part for the male figure. The Rome figure sculpture below on the left is The Tivoli General, marble, at Tivoli. Museo Nazlonale Romano, Rome. Compare with the Greek sculpture on the right is Agias of Pharsala, the Pankratist, Son of Agnosios Artist: Lysippos (active ca. 370-ca).
Agias of Pharsala, Greek
Artist: Lysippos (active ca. 370-ca)
The Tivoli General, marble, at Tivoli. Museo Nazlonale Romano, Rome.
The most famous pointing gesture of ancient Rome that displayed in Statue of Emperor Augustus shows his right arm raised and his right hand index finger extended while other fingers close to the palm.
Statue of Emperor Augustus – (c. 20 BC) marble
from Livia’s Villa, Prima Porta, north of Rome
The Built Environment
Aerial view of the forum, Pompeii, Ca. 200 BCE
The archaeological site of ancient Pompeii is an example of construction of Rome built environment. It demonstrates that monumental construction remained an embedded and integral element of Roman society throughout this period. Public buildings and civic space played a significant role in shaping the cultural and political identity of early republican Rome.
The Atrium of the House of the Vettii, Pompeii, Ca. 200 BCE demonstrated an upper class residence. The decoration and architecture of the Atrium house embodied the occupier’s social power. There is an open skylight in the court yard that functions in collecting the rain water. The typical Roman house of the Late Republic and Early Empire has no windows which prevents the see through on the street.
The Atrium of the House of the Vettii, Pompeii, Ca. 200 BCE
Restored Rome house plan in late Republic and Early Empire
The Four Styles of Rome Wall Paintings
Roman wall painting was divided into four different styles by German scholar, August Mau. These definition were based on four fundamental differences in the way the artist treated the wall and the painted space.
The 1st style wall painting was to paint the colorful stones, marble slabs and masonry blocks. Those stones were typically seen in more upper class houses. This style is to project the wealth of the villa owner.
1st style painting, 2nd century BCE, a House of Sallust in Pompeii
the Samnite house, c.100 BCE, at Herculaneum
The 2nd style is to paint the western picture frame on the wall. It try to make sense for the illusionary window onto a rational space. Most of the second style painting has one point perspective. Lighting starts to take part of the painting. It shows that period artist understand to use value to create art. More particularly, the object that is more close is painted more saturated. It is less contrasted as it is moving away. The image below on the left is Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, near Pompeii, mid-first century BCE. On the right is the Interior of a house at the Villa at Oplontis, 1st Century BCE.
The 3rd style Rome wall painting uses a little fragments. Architecture elements such as columns could be used to separate the sections. Those sections could be then smaller framed paintings. This style of painting allows the artist and designer more creative freedom. Unlike the 2nd style trying to demonstrate the 3 dimensional world, the 3rd style appears much flat. It is super abstract. The image bellow on the left is an example of 3rd style painting that demonstrated an Aedicula with small landscape, from the “Black Room” of the Imperial Villa at Boscotrecase, last decade of 1st century BCE. The image on the right shows a wall painting from the tablinum (which is a room typically across from the entrance and beside the atrium) of the villa of Marcus Lucretius Fronto from Pompeii c.35-45CE.
The 4th style Rome wall painting incorporates the 2nd and 1st styles. The content was playful. There were portraits of man and woman with distortion of faces. Even still life was found in this style wall painting. Lighting was examined. The 4th style is not a political statement. It doesn’t resemble any believable space, but instead consist of a variety of architectural elements from the Second Style arranged in an unrealistic manner with unrealistic perspective. Unlike the clarity of the third style “galleries,” fourth style rooms appear chaotic.
the Ixion Room, House of the Vettii, Pompeii, c. 70 – 79 CE
Anonymous Greek, Still Life with Peaches ca. A.D. 62-79
Conclusion
The Romans developed or improved their art and architecture by copying the art and architecture from the Greeks. Yet, Romans emphasized on more practical way than those of Greeks. They Copied many Greek sculptures with marbles and clay. They made their gods or important leaders more recognizable. They innovated concrete and bricks, and made their architecture structural glorify until now these days. They advanced the paintings by starting to examine lighting and shading and space.
Zbrush sculpt of the Arch of Septimius Severus, Rome
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