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Roman art explained: understand what art was like in Ancient Rome

Roman art produced in ancient times as a reference to previous civilizations - Greek and Etruscan - getting mixed practice and harmony.

As languages ​​of painting, sculpture and Roman architecture reflect the ideas of a civilization that for a long time was a huge and powerful empire, officially dating from 753 BC. C, preserving-tied or sec IV d. C.

As artistic manifestations of this society from the first moment, they will remain very daring to produce grego hairs of the Hellenistic phase.

Greek religiosity was also incorporated through the appropriation of mythology, which went on to present different names for the same deuses and deuses.

Roman painting na cidade de Pompeia portrays mulher e ganso
Paintings in Pompeia foram found portraying dinners of Greek mythology (Photo: Divulgação / Cesare Abbate / Pompeii Sites)

As the time passes, since the Roman Empire has been installed, alterations will arise in the art that has been produced, especially not in the architectural field.

Also, with reference to the practice of two Etruscans, the Roman culture began to show more popular and expressive characteristics.

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It was from the third century that a process of conflicts between the Romans and the poor barbarians began, causing a certain abandonment of art and architectural constructions.

This was the moment in which the Romans began or their decline, which resulted in the loss of the Empire Romano do Ocidente for the Germanic barbarians.

Ancient Rome painting

Painting in Rome was very practiced in the cities of Pompeia and Herculaneum, buried by stones after the eruption of the volcano on Mount Vesuvius, in 79 AD. C. In the past two archaeological achates in Roman painting form found nesses locais.

In Pompeia there is a very well preserved archaeological site, not with various elements from the barnacle - clearly influenced by the Greek culture.

A painting technique that we used to do fresh, which consists of applying ink on the surface of the gesso still fresh, so that it is preserved for a longer time.

This expression of art was classified in four styles: inlaid, architectural, shaved and intricate.

Not first, to embedding, a layer of gesso was applied to the walls as the objective of imitating marble textures, as blocks were used in tijolos formats.

Roman painting detail imitating marble tijolos
Detail of Roman style painting embedded, which imitates marble

No second style, or architect, or gesso was dispensed with the artists who began to use only paint to convey ideas of depths and depths.

Foram found large paintings painted in the style of Vila dos Mistérios, a high class house in Pompeia, dating back to 1st century.

Painted Roman panel displaying human figures in vermelho background
Painting in the Roman architectural style found in Pompeia exhibits human figures of about 150 cm

Ha no style shaved, We create images that pass to the illusion of having janelas with figures of animals and nature, more with a more "flattened" and more modest effect.

Roman painting exhibiting mural with janelas e paisagens
Style shaved da roman painting feita em afresco

Later arises or last style, or intricate, not which one could notice the other three genres. There were also paintings of people in natural size, displayed standing or sitting.

Roman painting not intricate style exibe painel com paisagens
Style intricate da roman painting, exhibiting junção de demais styles

As Roman paintings tinham concerned with portraying reality in an imaginative way, mixing techniques that will try to trace the paintings into the royal dinner, adorning architecture.

Also, a curious subject that arose from the paintings found in Pompeia was erotic art. Some murals show dinners portraying the sexual practice of the society (including homoerotic images) in a construction that supposedly has been a brothel.

Roman painting on the wall exhibits a sign of sex
Roman painting em parede na cidade de Pompeia exhibits erotic dinner

Roma Antiga sculpture

As Roman sculptures formed by many copies of exemplary Greek. The late Grécia Antiga, or Hellenistic period, greatly influenced the Romans.

These sculptures will serve many times as ornaments for architectural constructions, tracing historical dates and important people.

Roman sculpture exhibiting Augustus of Prima Porta, emperor with straight arm extended
Roman sculpture of Augustus of Prima Porta (about 190 BC. C.), currently located non-Vatican

As Roman sculptures sofreram algumas differentiações not that refer às gregas. The Romans valued very much o faithful portrait you give figures, just as isso sacrificed an ideal of beauty.

Therefore, it has representations of idosas personalities, powerful people who are eternalized in marble. I display lines of expression that denote their realities at the moment when the sculptures form conceived.

roman sculpture displaying head of homem idoso
Roman sculpture supposedly from Catão, or velho (80 a. C.), feita in natural size in marble

A curiosity about Roman sculpture is that, as well as Greek, they were not internally white, as you imagined. It was uncovered that these classic art icons were originally painted, many times with vibrant colors.

Architecture of Roma Antiga

Roman architecture was the artistic linguistic of major notoriety dessa civilização. With impressive and grandiose works, Romans were able to adapt knowledge of other civilizations to their serious interests.

Foi do povo Etruscan that they herdaram the technique of bow e da abóboda, Unexplored conheciments gray hairs and that make it possible to innovate the constructions with large interior spaces and semi columns.

By means of the arch that they will be able to undertake gigantic projects, such as the amphitheater called Coliseum, erected by Vespesian and finished in Secular I by Domitian.

This construção has three floor tiles with arches placed one on top or another. Its internal space is enough to accommodate 40 thousand people seated and 5 thousand people.

Also, the ornaments are not amphitheater inspired by Greek art and a structure of Etruscan inspiration.

Roman Coliseum, Huge Feito de Pedras Amphitheater
Roman Coliseum, built no seculum I, could accommodate 40 thousand seated people

As an example of a construction onde note-se or use of abóboda temos or Panteão, or temple dos deuses. Initially used as a cult of mythological deuses, it was later transformed into igreja cristã.

Nessa structure we can contemplate or rounded teto, that has a not high opening, making it possible to appreciate or to experience a magical experience that simulates or own firmament.

Roman Pantheon construction, exhibiting aboboda structure
Roman Pantheon, structure dated from 130 AD. C., exibe abóboda with passage of sunlight in seu topo

Characteristics of Ancient Roman Art

The most striking characteristics of Roman art are related to the capacity of this power of unite Greek and Etruscan influences, integrating the Hellenistic aesthetic sense with two objectivity Etruscans.

Dessa form, create works that follow an ideal of classical beauty, plus introduce more characteristics important to reflect your ideas, such as a faithful and realistic representation of national personalities. sculpture.

Na architecture highlights the use of arches and grandiose constructions, many times adorned with sculptural paintings representing historical figures. The particularities of painting were rich in details and effects of depth, apart from its color.

I would like to know more about related matters, I read:

  • Ancient Greek Art
  • Or what is romantic art? Works to understand or style
  • Egyptian Art: understand the fascinating art of Ancient Egypt
  • Byzantine Art

Bibliographic references:

  • GOMBRICH, Ernst Hans. A history gives art. 16. ed. Rio de Janeiro: LTC, 1999.
  • PROENÇA, Graça. History of Art. São Paulo: Ed. Ática, 2010.

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