Ancient Roman Sculptures

The artistic field remains appreciated until contemporary times. Most of the time, when it comes to Rome, it is the works of art that are immediately evoked. These wonders did not appear miraculously, but they were the succession of several creations. This is where the enhancement is significant.

Definition, origin and phase of appearance of Roman sculpture

These groups of creations come from several countries of the world. The portrait factory as well as the narrative culture already existed 3 centuries before Jesus Christ. Roman sculpture does not take the same path as those of ancient Greece. It will rather rekindle the flame and re-show 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 is later that some bronze copies appear. They are made by the Romans and will make a leap towards 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 them, there is the East which puts its weight during the Archaic period. This period of the 8th century is especially marked by the creation of the so-called "kouroÏ" representing men and the "koraÏ" for young girls. The story continues and statuary monuments were created by famous figures such as Polyclitus, Phidias, Myron as well as Lysippos and Praxiteles. The technique improves, the precision on body features and design became apparent. The total conservation of monuments has not always gone well. Nevertheless, there are some exceptions such as "The God of Artemison" and "The Charioteer of Delphi".

An important period is the Hellenistic period. This phase, between 323 BC and Roman domination, has original creations such as "The Winged Victory of Samothrace" and "Venus de Milo". These are then works that will bring realism to life.
Indeed, the Romans are not the origin of all these creations, the majority are made by the Greeks. An image of success was presented to the Roman and they simply took charge of improving them. The specificity of Greek works is their way of conveying a political message that was once within the reach of emperors. But it is those who knew how to develop it who had the merit. statues of ancient greece and Roman have many similarities, but the political ones are different while the religious ones intersect.

The evolution of Roman sculpture

With the evolution of time and events, Roman sculpture endures quite a few changes. These are linked to each period, the political regime and the culture will induce it to integrate according to the moment.
In the past, Roman works were considered copies, they begin their rise and are 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. Large, unheard-of public monuments demonstrate this. Historical values ​​are then well represented: the history and strong character of the Romans. This relates to his mania for gaining a political empire.
Some foreign influences like the oriental one will make it withdraw from some old bases. The antiquities like Byzantine, medieval and paleochristian art will no longer be requested for Roman art. A divergence arises, because there is the principle of classicism which advocates the past and attributes great value to it. Nevertheless, the follow-up of fashion and the political context will be respected.

Still in the same conflict, religious and social facts make their impacts. 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 then decided to keep the historical context to give importance to the population of Rome, but also to adapt it to the social and religious of the moment.

Bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius in the Capitoline Square in Rome.

The source elements of Roman sculpture

According to the findings of 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 are very well-known solutions at that time, but which 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 facade. The kind of terracotta sculpture is mostly located in very old temples. They mostly serve as a cover, ornament or are located on the roofs of these temples. Another widely used and at the same time valuable material is bronze. It is mostly used for statues representing politicians or citizens who have marked history. They are often dressed in togas, they are on horseback and wear a breastplate. The reflection turns out to be golden and shows the aesthetics.

Indeed, bronze can be found in temples, it constitutes the representations of the gods. Precious in the eyes of all, bronze creations are always sought after for their expensive appearance.

Later, they were melted down to make way for marble. Traditional monuments are often made of stone. But wealthy people who wanted a copy at home could make a marble copy. The most copied are ancestral masks, statues of famous people. As a conclusion, it should be noted that several historical, social, political and religious facts contributed to the creation and mobilization of Roman sculpture. A precise idea of ​​these sculptures remains a great debate, but it is its sure value that matters.

Roman art is very rich, we invite you to continue your research on this blog, La Bella Napoli, which brings together a lot of information.