The Purpose Of Roman Portraits

The Roman tradition of art, particularly architecture and sculpture is rooted in adopting styles of the past to convey a particular message. The combination of Greek and Etruscan styles, such as in the Temple of Portunus in Rome, ultimately culminate to reference a new meaning and style that is independently roman. Similarly to architecture, the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, chose to liken both is architecture, by using stone and the orders, and his portraiture back to the Greeks. Romans emperors ultimately tend to use style association to portray propaganda for their particular platform, as a form of associative mass media. Two emperors that exemplify this

The artwork I chose to talk about is on page 232. Figure 8.16, Funerary Relief of a Circus Official, Ostia, 110-130. The medium of the artwork is made from Marble relief. The Tombs in the old days of roman families built outside of the city walls, along roadways entering the city. The vision of the monuments is to preserve individual’s fame, family honor, and status in the society. The extended family of the deceased also held feasts and putting out food and drink for the dead for enjoying. The large figure in the picture is the official himself, holding hands with his wife at the left side. The handshake symbolizes in the Roman art the indication of marriage. The palm branch symbolizes the victory. There are many accents in the artwork

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

Re-made and re-carved works have been around for hundreds of years as artists take inspiration from whom the original was recreated. In Roman art history, certain artists would re-make Roman portraits to honor those before them. However, this was not always the case as individuals would destroy and damage art as a damnation of memory. What determined our understanding of the specific work depended on why the remade or re-carved work was created. These re-made and re-carved artworks revealed a deeper meaning about the individual, culture and the society for whom the original was recreated.

Most often, the function of the portrait determined the status of portraits. For instance, when a portrait was a likeness of an important historical figure, it was thought to be of higher status. If a portrait was of a funerary nature, its status would probably be considered to be lower because its subject could be considered to be of less importance. During the Renaissance and the years that followed, the portrait’s status became less highly regarded as this led to a democratization of portraits. Before this, it was far less common for those with low income or rank to be able to sit for a portrait. As artists began to focus on simply being portraitists, it allowed for more people to be able to have their portraits

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.

Ancient Romans copied Greek art but also had many unique art of their own. Art in Ancient Rome was either architecture, sculptures, or paintings. The Roman Artists admired and studied Greek statues, buildings, and ideas. They coped Greek in many ways. However, they alternated Greek’s ideas to suit their own needs.

Late Roman Empire Art only lasted for a short extent of time. During which many changes occurred in art, predominantly changes to sculpture. This change was a moving away from sculpture being meant for a particular person to sculpture being for the people of the Roman Empire.

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.

Portraiture in Rome and specifically portraiture in Roman politics has always been a clever game of propaganda to the people for the people in Rome. During the reign of the Emperor Augustus there is vast usage of imagery, deification, portraiture and political symbolism to help him carry out his subtle political propaganda and win the people of Rome his adoptive father Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. It is specifically in Augustus' coinage and how he used the mints and distribution of money to the Roman Empire, as a method of directly ensuring his political statements and beliefs would be instigated within his empire. Augustus' use of the coins helped influence his reign and considerably during the 13 year civil war between himself

Throughout history people can see many of the developments and differences among cultures, through the artworks that were produced. This essay will carefully analyze, evaluate, and compare four distinct works, from different time periods and cultures. The works to be compared are: The Woman from Willendorf, The Bust of Nefertiti, Figure of A Woman, and Young Flavian Woman. Throughout this paper the style and function of each individual work will be explored, along with the cultural ideas presented in each piece.

On the images of the sculptures of “Warrior” and “Alexander the Great” it can be noticed the progress of the Greeks to represent their power through sculptural portraits. Yet, still having the influence of the movement of naturalism, during the classical period the “Greek statuary was much admired” such as the sculpture of “Warrior” in 460-450 BCE and later the one of “Alexander the Great” from the 3rd century BCE developed during the late classical period, demonstrate certain intimidation of authority. However, the sculptures of “Warrior” and the head of “Alexander the Great” present some difference based on the representation of power and the composition of these works of art.

Roman sculptures combined the Greek idea of depicting people and scenes in their history. Unlike the Greeks, they didn't have sculptures of their gods, or mythical creatures, but they carved scenes of victories of wars (which they had a lot of), or great rulers. For example, on the Ara Pacis, or the Altar of Peace, a sculpture shows Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, who brought peace Rome in 27 B.C. Another example is on the Arch of Titus, sculptures showed scenes of victorious Roman armies in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The Arch also shows the Roman emperor Titus riding a chariot, celebrating victory with the gods.

On the images of the sculptures of a “Warrior” and “Alexander the Great” implies the progress of the Greeks to represent their power through sculptural portraits. However, the sculptures of a “Warrior” and the head of “Alexander the Great” present some difference based on the representation of power and the composition of these works of art.

Augustus also changed the veristic style of the Republican portraiture. The sculptural image of Augustus was carefully controlled. He was always depicted a s a younger man and served to link his image with that of other heroes and gods. Augustus’ image was never