Definition, origin and phase of appearance of Roman sculpture
These creative groups come from several countries around the world. The portrait factory and narrative culture already existed 3 centuries before Christ. Roman sculpture does not take the same path as those of ancient Greece. Instead, it will rekindle the flame and re-see this authenticity of raw art.
It is once Rome becomes a political power that its monuments are also highlighted.
The main source of inspiration, which is Greek sculpture, will crumble. It was later that a few bronze copies appeared. They are made by the Romans and will make a leap to popularity.
Sculptures always come first when we talk about ancient art. Considered artistic, the purpose of Greek sculptures was to promote beauty, such as sculptures of naked or half-naked human bodies with good quality materials.
There were several influences before having a well-established Roman finish. Among these, there is the Orient which puts its weight during the archaic period. This period of the 8th century was mainly marked by the creation of the so-called "kouro" representing man and "kora" for young girls.
The continuous history and statuary monuments were created by well-known figures such as Polyclète, Phidias, Myron as well as Lysippe and Praxiteles. Technicality improved, precision on body traits and design became apparent.
The total preservation of monuments has not always gone well. Nevertheless, there are some exceptions such as "The God of Artemis" and "The Aurige of Delphi."
An important period is that of Hellenistic. This phase, between 323 BC and Roman domination, has original creations such as "The Victory of Samothrace" and "Venus of Milo". These are works that will bring realism to life.
Indeed, the Romans are not the origin of all these creations, the majority is made by the Greeks. An image of the success was presented to the Roman and they simply took care to improve them. The specificity of the Greek works is their way of conveying a political message that was once within the reach of the emperors. But it was those who knew how to develop it who got the credit. The Greek statues and Romans have many similarities, but political ones are different while religious ones intersect.
The evolution of Roman sculpture
With the evolution of time and events, Roman sculpture endures a lot of changes. These are linked to each period, the political regime and culture will induce it to integrate according to the moment.
In the past, Roman works were judged to be copies, they began to flourish and were later recognized as true masterpieces. The great historical value will then be kept, followed by an innovation that advances in history that we can observe in their portraits. The specificity of the latter is the evolution in terms of technicality and expressive art. Great public monuments are unheard of. The historical values are then well represented: the history and strong character of the Romans. This is a relation to his mania for winning a political empire.
Some foreign influences such as the Eastern one will make him withdraw from some old bases. Ancientities such as Byzantine, medieval and paleo-Christian art will no longer be called upon for Roman art. There is a divergence, because there is the principle of classicism that promotes the past and attributes great value to it. Nevertheless, fashion monitoring and the political context will be respected.
Also in the same conflict, religious and social facts make their impact. This is presented by the arrival of Christianity which has a contradictory aspect to the pagan. Following the meteoric rise of Roman politics, the Romans decided to keep the historical context to put importance to the population of Rome, but also to adapt it to the social and religion of the moment.
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Bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius in the Capitol Square in Rome.
The source elements of Roman sculpture
According to the observation of the archaeologists, whether for the Greeks or for the Romans, they are both polychrome. It is the painting and an assembly like marble with porphyry that is used." These were very well-known solutions at the time, but they were quite expensive. Most of the time, they were used by the Romans, only they could afford it.
Various statues are marked interesting. The main components are bronze, stone or terracotta that fill the interior of the façade. The kind of terracotta sculpture is mostly located in very ancient temples. They are mostly used as blankets, ornaments or are located on the roofs of these temples. Another widely used and valuable material is bronze. It is mainly used for representative statues of politicians or citizens who have made history. They are often dressed in robes, they are on horseback and wear armour. The reflection turns out to gild and shows the aesthetics. Indeed, bronze can be found in temples, it constitutes representations of the gods. Precious in the eyes of all, bronze creations are always sought after for its expensive appearance.
Later, they were melted down to give way to marble. Traditional monuments are often made of stone. But wealthy people who wanted a copy at home could make a marble copy of it. The most copied are the ancestral masks, the statues of famous people. In conclusion, it should be noted that several historical, social, political and religious facts constituted the creation and mobilization of Roman sculpture. A precise idea of these sculptures remains a great discussion, but it is its sure value that matters.
Roman art is very rich we invite you to continue your research on this blog the Bella Napoli, which gathers many information.
