The Purpose Of Roman Portraits

SHELDON
NODELMAN
 from
 E.
D’Ambra,
ed.,
Roman
Art
in
Context.
NY:
Prentice
Hall.
1993
pp.
10‐20
 Like all works of art. the portrait is a system of signs; it is often an ideogram of “public’ meanings condensed into the image of a human face. Roman portrait sculpture from the Republic through the late Empire-the second century BCE. to the sixth CE -constitutes what is surely the most remarkable body of portrait art ever created. Its shifting montage of abstractions from human appearance and character forms a language in which the history of a whole society can be read. Beginning in the first century B.C., Roman artists invented a new kind of portraiture, as unlike that of the great tradition of Greek

In the early official and private portrait of the Etruscan- Roman tradition, the achievement of sculpture from the identity of the ideal Republican demonstrated motivation behind the virtus, veristic, and gravitas qualities. The Etruscan Roman portrait sculpture of the “Patrician Carrying Portrait Busts of Two Ancestors” is a life-size marble statue that was dated to the period of the Emperor Augustus somewhere at the end of the 1st century BCE or the beginning of the 1st century CE, reflecting the practices that have originated from the past by Polybius.

The Roman rulers from ancient times are well-known for their ability to coax their people into thinking a certain way through the use of convincing pieces of art. The Roman Empire was very troubled and its emperors are infamous for such things as lavish spending, unnecessary war, and even the killing of family members, and this begs the question: how were there so few large scale revolts of the Roman populous? The answer is the use of propaganda in popular Roman culture. The Roman Empire used propaganda for political purposes by incorporating Roman family values, victorious war scenes, and general Roman successes into their artworks.

Roman portraiture was one of the most significant periods in the development of portrait art. The characteristics of Roman portraitures are more modest, realistic, idealized, and natural. Also, the body compositions, muscles and facial expressions of portraits and sculptures are more advanced. Many roman portraits are directly linked to specific individuals, such as gods and emperors. They were often used for propaganda purposes and included ideological messages in the pose, accoutrements, or costume of the figure.

I am choosing to focus on the imperial portrait reliefs from the Ara Pacis for matrix cell 1 because this monument combines politics, religion and social values. The Ara Pacis Augustae epitomizes the Mos Maiorum, the visual manifestation of Roman virtues and laws. This paper will explain why the reliefs on the Ara Pacis can be considered political propaganda. Furthermore, I will analyze how the art in this monument exhibits the importance of civic piety in Roman politics.

Particularly in the Roman times, funerary relief did not be used solely for commemorating the deceased, but rather it was used as a public demonstration of identity of certain group of deceased people. Moreover, the relief itself represents the spirit of the Roman. According to the article In Commemorationem Mortuorum: Text and Image Along the ‘Streets of Tombs,’ written by Michael Koortbojian, the Roman funerary relief is fully filled with Romanitas, which refer to the collection of political and cultural concepts, practices, and value by which the Romans defined themselves. The article focuses on three different types of sculpted funerary monument: wall-mounted grave relief, stele, and altar, dedicated to freedmen and freed women during the Republican and Imperial periods. Except for portrait bust type of wall-mounted grave relief, these funerary monuments are based on the Hellenic models. Even though the Roman artists borrowed basic formulas from them, the final products of the monuments are totally transformed and crowded with Roman artistic characters. Koortbojian claims that certain visual settings on the picture plane are commonly carved on the monuments as a means of representing artistic Roman-ness and the ideal Roman. Moreover, rather than mythical subjects, most funerary reliefs belonged to the freedmen represent profession of the dead in naturalistic manner. Also, he points out physical location of the monuments that they were erected outside the city walls as

It is through the cultural perspective represented in these arts that we recognize how political authority was being portrayed during that time and how it portrays the cultural identity which was being practiced during those times. In both examples, there was exercising of power as represented and seen in the portraits and their significance and this is still relevant to us in our current life because there is still political authority and power. Both examples are showing how important it is to represent the whole cultural massage within a framework in which people can relate to and convey the significance. Both the portraits have elaborated the political theme generally and by analyzing them, we can learn the culture which gives us a rounded way of looking at situations, politics, power and from that we can rewind that experience from the past and see how different and how similar it is to our own. From this we gather and obtain knowledge which is important in how we view the world around us. In both examples, power and authority has dominated the portraits and despite this similarity, there is a difference on how it was being delivered. In the first example which is Portraits of tetrarchs (late empire Rome) it showed how the authority was solid and stable and how the emperor worked together to ensure that there was

In the age of ancient civilizations of the Greeks and Romans, image was everything. Art, especially those on display in the public sphere, was ubiquitously exploited as propaganda by emperors, politicians and individuals of power to underscore their own political agendas, propagating specific, ideal public images within and beyond their ruling realms. In examining the public portraitures of Perikles and Caracalla, clear parallels can be drawn from the respective artists’ characterizations of the two leaders– for instance, their stern facial expressions and military adornments suggest both individuals sought to bolster themselves as figures of authority and most

Standing at a small, but significant ten inches, this sculpture is reminiscent of the late Roman portraiture style, but delving into the symbolic expression of the early Byzantine provincial portraiture period. This portrait is from the fifth century, estimated sometime from 400-420 AD. Originally from Syria, Asia by an unknown artist, it currently is held at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and credited to The Putnam Dana McMillan Fund. The elements within this portrait all are noteworthy in the sculpture contributing toward the creation of this artwork. This piece with will be analyzed first from a general overview and then the features moving from the top then moving to the base of the portrait. Due to the Head of a Young Man not being on display, this analysis will be solely from a picture.

All figures are depicted strictly frontally facing the viewer's head at the same level. Emphasis monotonously repeats each, except for the extreme figures gesture bent at a right angle of the right hand. Parallel lines are falling vertical folds of heavy garments. The whole group froze in silent anticipation. Immobility composition petrification of poses and gestures, rhythmic, hammered rhythm - all this gives the image of the scene a sense of alienation from everyday life. This feeling is further enhanced by the fact that the figure depicted on abstract gold background, and the emperor is crowned not only the crown of an earthly ruler but also around glow - the halo, according to the laws of the Christian church.

However, the Roman artists contributed their own additions to Greek art. Instead of taking an idealized approach when completing works of art, the Roman’s used the style of verism. The concept of verism was to make their artwork as realistic and similar to human forms as possible, hence why it was known as the “warts and all” style. During the 1st Century, a marble sculpture of Augustus of Primaporta was made which displayed the ruler in a powerful stance as a young leader. In comparison to the Greek sculpture of Doryphorus, both marble statues display movement; however the Roman sculpture had the purpose of displaying power and not looking as relaxed and idealistic as the Greek sculpture. Augustus’ hand is raised in the sculpture and he is wearing a chest plate that displays images of his victories as a leader. The sculpture acted as propaganda due to the idealization of the leader and depicting him during his prime achievements as a

During Augustus' reign, Roman art served as political advertisements and artistic statements. By associating themselves with gods, heroes, and Roman history, Roman art served as a form of effective propaganda. The Roman's artistic influences were derived from classical and Hellenistic Greece. The Romans believed that by adopting the Greek-style arts, they could associate themselves with classical Athens and Alexander the Great. A forum was originally a marketplace. It was the social and political center of a Roman city. The column of Trajan was the centerpiece of the Forum of Trajan. The column depicted scenes of the emperor's victories over Dacian. The innovations of Roman architecture were the arch which was more suitable than the post-and-lintel

The symbols that we see in our current lives, were greatly affected by the Ancient

Equestrian statues would not have been uncommon in ancient Rome due to the fact that they were seen as a way of honoring an emperor for military and city accomplishments. Although there were suggested that at least 22 equestrian statues were seen in early Rome, a great portion of these statues were not kept alive because of their richness in bronze, as we see in the statue of Marcus Aurelius. Many were melted to create other materials, such as coins or newer statues. Some of these statues were also destroyed because Middle Aged Christians saw the statues as a form of paganism. However, the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius survived because it was thought to represent the first Christian Emperor, Constantine. So, if this statue had melted

In 27 BC Augustus began his political career with a “new policy which embodied a national and Roman spirit” (Galinksy, 1996, 225) and “represented new heights in creativity and sophistication” (Galinksy, 1996, 225). Augustus created a new political propaganda campaign that used art and architecture to promote and enhance his regime. The most fundamental message can be regarded as to establish the legitimacy of his rule and to portray him as the natural successor of Rome, as this is consistently presented throughout the visual programme. Yet factors such as the restoration of the Republic, reviving the old religion, nationalism and militaristic triumph can also be seen to be communicated prominently through art and architecture.