Roman sculpture had the purpose of portraying Roman heroes and reflecting Roman history. It was influenced by Etruscan and Greek sculpture, focusing on realistic depictions and details. The main genres were portraits and historical reliefs. Portraits evolved from only depicting heads to showing more of the body and individual characteristics over time, and were used both for commemorating ancestors and glorifying emperors. Historical reliefs adorned structures like altars, triumphal arches, and columns, aiming to glorify events and immortalize Roman accomplishments through realistic and narrative scenes.

1. Roman Sculpture Revision

2. Introduction Roman sculpture had a public target: Make known Roman heroes Reflect Rome’s History The main characteristics are: Detail Fidelity to the model Respect of the canon Beauty is lost in favour of the truth The two main genres were: Portrait Historical relief

3. Influences Roman sculpture received influences from Etruria Funerary portrait Realistic depiction of the people Greece Portraits of famous people Representation of the psychology in addition to physical characteristics Taste for collections (Greek works were admired and collected).

4. Roman Portrait Origins: Wax portraits of dead member of the family to put in the houses (lares) Portraits of the emperor to send to the provinces

5. Roman Portrait Republic Imagines Maiorum: there were the masques of the ancestors made of wax They were “positivated” in different materials It was forbidden to depict people who did not have a public job.

6. Roman Portrait The first images had only the head, but without any part of the body. Due to superstitious believes, they so be very realistic and capsize the features of the dead person.

7. Roman Portrait Portraits are realistic, imitating even defects They aim at glorying authorities, not the artists, so they are anonymous Bear witnesses of things that happened.

8. Roman Portrait Evolution Simplified Realistic Idealised Realistic Low Empire IV- V Empire I-III AD High Republic VI-I BC

9. Roman Portrait Republic: Until 1st century BC Only head and neck Bronze or polychrome stone Grave and serene expressions Individualization of the character Trend to idealise public characters.

10. Roman Portrait High Empire (1st-3rd centuries AD) Official portrait is idealized They aim at underlining the importance of the character Individual features Expression of character Face without beard

11. Roman Portrait With the Flavian dynasty (2nd century AD) Realism Hair gains volume Beard appears Chiaroscuro effects

12. Roman Portrait Low Empire (4 th -5 th centuries AD) Anticlassicism Lineal and hieratic Lost humanity Monumental Schematic

13. Women Portrait It was the reflect of fashions It is a realistic depiction of woman Special attention to hair style.

14. Portrait Typology Thoracatae: victorious emperor Apoteosic: as a good, naked and crowned

15. Portrait Typology Togatae: as a civilian, wearing the toga. Pontifex Maximus: wearing the toga and with head covered

16. Imperial Portrait Was used as propagandistic It used the Greek canon A bit idealised Inspired in classical images (Doriforo) Psychological portrait Barefoot = divinity Use of symbols Polychrome

17. Equestrian Portrait Depicted as military addressing to the citizens Pacific character wearing as a philosopher Influenced in Renaissance Psychological portrait Equilibrated image

18. Historical Relief It appeared in different locations: Altars Triumphal arches Commemorative columns Sarcophagus

19. Historical Relief Characteristics: It aimed at glorifying immortality They wanted to commemorate something important Propaganda

20. Historical Relief Technical characteristics: Pictorial effects Perspective and different plans Movement and volume Landscape elements Evolution from naturalism to realism Influenced on Renaissance

21. Historical Relief Altars The Ara Pacis is the most famous It reflects traditions of Augustus times Remains the friezes of the Parthenon

22. Historical Relief Triumphal Arches Two of the most famous are those of Tito and Constantine They explain a historical event Realistic with spatial references Different plans.

23. Historical Relief Commemorative Columns The most famous is Trajan’s Column Helicoidally organised It narrates the campaign against the Dacians Numerous characters War scenes Perspective Landscape

24. Historical Relief Sarcophagus The relieves are ornamental and memoirist Continuous depictions At least the frontal part is worked It can be completely full of images Characters may appear lying on the top