1

Late Roman Art

  1. LATE ROMAN EMPIRE
  2. Introduction

1.A long period of decline – 192 – 476 CE. Slow transition from pagan society to Christian society.

2.Multiple causation

  1. Political problems
  2. Problems of succession
  3. Weak rulers
  4. Revolving door rulers – In a 50 year period (218-268 CE), Rome had 50 emperors. Of this total, 17 were murdered!
  1. Barbarian Pressure
  2. Ostrogoths
  3. Visigoths
  4. Vandals
  1. Economic Problems
  2. Trade deficit
  3. Inflation
  1. Rise of Christianity
  1. Examples of Art and Architecture

1.Portrait Bust of Caracalla (at the MET!)

  1. Part of the Severan dynasty
  2. Short cropped hair and stubbly beard to make him look more like a soldier-emperor
  3. An aggressive and suspicious facial expression
  4. Why? Have you ever heard of the expression “live by the sword, die by the sword.” When he became emperor, he had his brother Geta killed and his memory damned by the Roman Senate.
  5. Caracalla also had his wife killed.
  6. Followed his father’s dying advice: Enrich your soldiers, disregard everyone else.
  7. Assassinated during a military campaign in the sixth year of his reign.

2.Painted portrait of Septimius Severus and his family, from Egypt, ca. 200 CE.

  1. Geta’s face covered over on family portrait.
  2. Emperor’s hair is tinged with gray.

3.Chariot procession of Septimius Severus, relief from the Arch of Septimius Severus, ca. 203 CE

  1. See how the convention of putting subjects farther from the viewer on a higher ground plane has become standard in the official art of Rome. Big influence on early Christian art.

4.Baths of Caracalla

  1. Bathing in Rome’s public bath houses was a major social activity
  2. The Baths of Caracalla was the largest bath complex in the Roman Empire – 50 acres
  3. Located in Rome
  4. Included a frigidarium (cold-water bath), tepidarium (warm-water bath), and caldarium (hot-water bath).
  5. The frigidarium, which was in the center of the baths, had a dome as tall as the Pantheon’s and its drum was taller. So large that in recent years it was used to hold hundreds of spectators during Italian operas.
  6. Walls made of brick-faced concrete
  7. Light came in from windows thanks to FENESTRATED GROIN VAULTS
  8. More than just baths – landscaped gardens, lecture halls, libraries, palaestras (exercise courts), and a natatio (swimming pool). One palaestra had a copy of Lysippos’ Weary Herakles!
  9. Beautifully decorated with stucco walls, mosaic floors, and copies of colossal statues.
  10. Estimated to hold 1,600 bathers at once.

5.“Soldier – Emperors”: 235 – 284 CE

  1. Period of about 50 years, middle of 4th C. CE, when generals claimed emperor’s throne only to be murdered within a few months of years and replaced by another general.
  2. Only construction that happened was a defensive wall around Rome, which signifies that Rome’s power was waning.
  1. Portrait bust of Trajan Decius
  2. Notice the realistic appearance of his face – An old man with bags under his eyes and a sad facial expression
  3. A nervous expression – shows the precarious situation of Roman emperors during this period
  4. Reigned only 2 years and is best known for persecuting Christians
  1. Heroic portrait of Trebonianus Gallus (at the MET!)
  2. Successor of Trajan Decius
  3. A realistic portrait of his head but an exaggerated disproportionate body
  4. Notice the short-hair and stubble beard made popular by Caracalla
  5. Body of a powerful wrestler – massive upper body and strong legs – conveys that he is a mighty ruler
  6. Shoes resemble not the shoes of a Roman statesman but the shoes of a boxer working out at the palaestra
  7. Trebonianus Gallus also reigned only 2 years.
  8. Greek ideal of keen mind in an harmoniously proportioned body is replaced by brute force and topped by an anxious looking head.
  1. Anti-Classical Art Trends
  2. In 3rd C. CE inhumation became more popular, even imperial family was getting buried not cremated.
  1. Ludovisi Battle Sarcophogus, Battle of Romans and barbarians, Rome, 250 – 260 CE, marble

1.Purchased by Cardinal Ludovisi; don’t know who it is a sarcophagus for.

2.Chaotic battle scene, no sense of ground, no illusion of space.

3.Central figure, on horseback, unarmed---above the fray?--- exhorting the troops? --- fearless commander who feels assured of victory? His forehead has a mark of Mithras, Persian god of light, truth, and victory. Indicates huge inroads of foreign (eastern) religion and culture into Roman psyche.

  1. Sarcophagus of a philosopher, 270 – 280 CE, marble

1.Insecurity of times lead Romans to seek solace in philosophy as well as exotic, oriental religions. Deceased sometimes masqueraded as philosophers.

2.This tripartite (three part) composition was often used in Christian burials with Christ in the center position flanked by his apostles.

  1. Temple of Venus, Baalbek (Lebabon).

1.Indicates lowering regard for Greek classical influence by flouting rules: Archuated entrance without pediment; 5 sided columns; scalloped platform and entablature. Baroque ornamentation would be important for 17th C. Italian renaissance architecture.

  1. Diocletian to the Rescue (284 – 306 CE)

1.Solutions

  1. Doubles the size of the Roman army
  2. Wage and price controls
  3. Persecution of the Christians
  4. Creates the Tetrarchy – rule by four emperors to resolve the problems of succession and assassinations
  5. Two Augusti – one for the west and one for the east
  6. Two Caesars – younger rulers, one for the west and one for the east

2.Portraits of the four tetrarchs

  1. Four tetrarchs were often portrayed together on coins and in sculpture in the round
  2. Famous portraits of tetrarchs in Venice (today they are on the corner of Saint Mark’s Cathedral)
  3. Notice that all four rulers have the same appearance
  4. Short, squat bodies with cubical heads like relief of decursio on the pedestal of the column of Antonius Pius.
  5. Cuirass and capes look the same
  6. Embracing each other in a forced expression of unity
  7. One hand on their swords
  8. The only difference – two of the figures have beards (probably represent the older Augusti) and two do not.
  9. FULL ARC --- 8 CENTURIES AFTER GREEKS FREED THE HUMAN FORM FROM THE RIGID FRONTALITY OF EGYPTIAN-INSPIRED KOUROS STANCE, THE HUMAN FIGURE IS AGAIN CONCEIVED OF IN ICONIC TERMS. IDEALISM, NATURALISM, INDIVIDUALITY, AND PERSONALITY BELONG TO THE PAST.
  1. The Tetrarchy did not last – Diocletian (Augustus of the East) decided to retire, which lead to a civil war in the west
  2. Diocletian returned to his homeland of Dalmatia (present-day Yugoslavia)
  3. Built a fortress-palace at Split that was 10 acres.
  4. Laid out like a Roman CASTRUM (temporary city built by Roman soldiers during a military campaign)
  5. Had large walls with watchtowers to give Diocletian a sense of security
  6. Huge mausoleum was a type that was popular for Byzantine churches.
  1. Constantine (312 – 337 CE)

1.Background

  1. His father was the Caesar of the West
  2. When his father died, he became Caesar of the West and attacked Rome, where the Augustus of the West – Maxentius – held power
  3. He defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the MilvianBridge. Maxentius was killed during the battle.
  4. Before the battle, Constantine saw a sign of a cross of light in the heavens that said ‘in this sign you shall conquer.’ He claimed that the Christian God helped him win.
  5. Constantine and the Caesar of the East – Licinius signed the Edict of Milan (313 CE), legalizing Christianity.
  6. 325 CE, Council of Nicaea, Christianity became official religion of Roman Empire.
  7. Constantine defeated the army of Licinius in the east and had him executed. Constantine became the only emperor of the Roman Empire.
  8. Moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium and renamed the city Constantinople. He made this move “by order of God.”
  9. By the early 330’s, Christianity became the de facto religion of the Roman Empire and paganism declined.
  10. Deathbed conversion to Christianity in 337 CE.
  11. By the end of Constantine’s reign, the medieval world had begun.
  1. Art Associated with Constantine

1.Arch of Constantine

  1. 82 feet tall with three arcuated passages
  2. Largest arch in Rome
  3. Borrowed art – Many of its friezes, statues, and medallions were taken from other arches including Arches of Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius – Good Emperors
  4. Scenes show Constantine handing out largess to the people, riding on a horse, defeating his enemies, being crowned with laurel by winged victories.

2.Colossal portrait of Constantine

  1. Immense image of authority
  2. The entire statue was estimated to be about 30 feet tall. The head alone is 8 ½ feet high. Other fragments survive.
  3. Revived the Augustan image of an eternally youthful head of state – he is shown clean shaven, whereas earlier images show him with a beard
  4. He is idealized – appears muscular and without physical imperfections
  5. Colossal size, the likening of the emperor to Jupiter
  6. His eyes are oversized and look off into the distance – He is ever vigilant over his empire
  7. His right hand was lifted with his index finger point upwards and his left hand held an orb (Earth) possibly surmounted by a cross.

3.Basilica Nova (aka Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine)

  1. Begun when Maxentius had control of the city and finished by Constantine
  2. BASILICA – a large rectangular building that functioned as a city hall with government offices and courtrooms.
  3. Statue of Constantine stood in the APSE (semi-circular niche at the end of the basilica) to impress visitors of the basilica and remind them of his authority.
  4. Originally 300 feet long and 215 feet wide with brick-faced concrete walls
  5. Side halls have coffered barrel vaults
  6. Ceiling had fenestrated groin vaults to provide lighting

4.Aula Palatina (Audience Hall), Trier, early 4th C. CE

  1. Overall basilica structure later converted to Christian church.
  2. Large windows due to development of increasing use of lead-framed panes of window glass.
  3. Interior, simple. Flat wooden coffered ceiling with ample light.

5.Constantine coins: Shows Constantine as Christian ruler over the world.