Art History –Study Guide- Chap 6

Interpretation and Meaning:

• What is the significance of the forum?
  

  The Forum was where all governmental issue were taken care of by the senate
  

• Identify some examples of the architecture of the provinces, and what do these monuments tell us about the Romans?
  

  The coliseum, the Pantheon, baths, and temples
  

  They show the abilities of the Romans and their knowledge and understanding of architecture
  

• The Ara Pacis commemorates August' triumphal return to Rome after establishing Roman rule in Gaul
  

  Used swags and garlands of flowers
  

• The decorations was simply a decretive allegory for the ceremonies
  
• Augustus Primaporta idealizes a specific ruler and prowess and uses mythological imagery
  
• The painting of the Villa of Mysteries in Pompeii depicts the coming of age and the rights of passage young women had to go through at the time
  
• The Flavian Amphitheater is called the Coliseum because it was derived from a statue of Nero, the Colossus, standing next to it.
  
• The succession of orders of he engaged columns at the Coliseum refers to the traditional order from the Hellenistic period
  
• The Arch of Titus was made by the senate and the roman people in honor of Titus
  
• The Column of Trajan involved 2,500 individual figures linked by landscape architecture and recurring figures of Trajan
  
• Emperor Trajan is portrayed as a powerful leader in imperial propaganda.
  

  He had a temple name for him: The Temple of the Divine Trajan
  

• The word 'Pantheon' litterly means 'all gods' and the patron who commissioned it was Hadirum between 125-128 BC
  
• The most remarkable characteristics of the Pantheon include the giant rotunda, the 20 feet thick walls, and the dome
  
• In the seven niches in the interior of the Pantheon statues of the gods were displayed
  
• Portrait statues such as Allus Metellus were located at the top of columns as memorials
  
• The room in the Villa of Mysteries is thought to have been an room dedicated to the rite of passage marking psychological advancement
  
• The Colosseum was used as an entertainment center for activities such as athletic events, mock sea battles, and fights. The Colosseum could hold up to 55,000 spectators
  
• The two types of vaulting in the Colosseum: groin and barrel; were used for entrances and to maximize space.
  
• The Basilica Ulpia was located within the Forum of Trajan and after its building the Forums moved to within here. It was dedicated to justice, commerce, and the presence of the emperor.
  
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• Mosaics were located on floors and the illusionistic effects artists got from them were amazing. They used very small tesserae and a wide range of colors.
  

  
  

Style

• Four styles of Roman wall painting:
  
  • First style: Involved geometric patterns, wall often painted to imitate marble
    
  • Second style: Theatrical settings, created illusion of space, often included interconnected scenes that told a story
    
  • Third style: Moved away from architectural illusions and turned to surface effects, natural settings favored, ornate, decoration serves to frame smaller works
    
  • Forth style: Eccentric designed, includes a revival of the Second Style, told stories, very ornate
    
• Portraiture that emerge during the Roman period include portraits of the dead to preserve them. Images were made into death masks, busts, and paintings. They were extremely realistic and accurate
  

Materials and Techniques

• The Romans relied on concrete to construct their large round arched barrel vaulted buildings. Concrete was stronger and therefore allowed the Romans to build bigger, taller, and stronger buildings
  
• Roman concrete consisted of rocks, water, and pozzola, a type of volcanic ash
  
• Veneer means is a thin layer of a finer material over the materials the object is made from and it was important because it allows for a piece to be built from a strong material, but get the beauty from a finer one
  
• The technique Roman wall painting used was_____
  
• The sculptors created a sense of space in the relief sculptures on the Arch of Titus using both high and low relief
  
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• The pieces of glass used to create mosaics are called tesserae
  

  
  

Diagrams

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• Basilica of Old Saint Rome
  

  
  

  
  

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Compare and Discuss

• The Ertrustcans took the traditional Doric Greek order and changed it to be their own by adding a base and taking away the traditional Greek fluting.
  
• Etruscan tombs are much more homey. In Egypt, the tombs are filled with lavish gifts for the dead for the afterlife. Etruscan tombs recreate the homes of the dead, the walls covered in low relief sculpting.
  
• The barrel vault is the simplest of the arches the Romans/Etruscans used. The groin vault is the meeting of two barrel vaults. The groin vault provides more space than the barrel. The Colosseum contains both barrel and groin vaulting.
  
• A pier is the support for an arch or bridge and the column is a vertical, slender compression member. It is used to hold up ceilings and is not associated with arches
  
• The relief on the Ara Pacis commemorates the first rulers of Rome: Romulus and Pompilius. The frieze that runs along the inner walls of the Parthenon depict the Panathenaic Festival, an annual tribute to Athena. The relief on the Parthenon and higher and creates a better sense of space compared to the Ara Pacis. The people on the Parthenon are seen in more movement compared to those on the Ara Pacis