Famous sculptures of ancient Rome. Sculptures of Ancient Rome: a complete guide

Until the 20th century, the history of ancient sculpture was built in chronological order - first Greece (the heyday of art in the 5th–4th centuries BC), then Rome (the peak of the rise of the 1st–2nd centuries BC). Art (Roma) was considered a late expression of Greek cultural traditions, the culmination of the creativity of the period of antiquity.

After the publication of the works of art historians Ranuccio Bianchi-Bandinelli and Otto Brendel, antiquists recognized Roman art as an original and unique phenomenon. The sculpture of ancient Rome came to be regarded as a school of classical craftsmanship, the history of which had not yet been written.

In the 8th century BC e. Ancient Roman masters started from the traditions of Hellenic sculptors and began to master independent creativity.

The history of ancient Roman art is divided into four stages:

1. Ancient era (VIII–V centuries BC)
2. Republican era, period of formation (V - I centuries BC)
3. The heyday of Roman imperial art (1st - 2nd centuries AD)
4. The era of crisis (III - IV centuries AD)

The origins of ancient Roman sculpture are the art of the Italics and Etruscans, who created unique cultural monuments. The most famous artifact is the warrior from Capestrano (Guerriero di Capestrano).

Sculptors of the ancient era created portrait images and stone bas-reliefs, which differed from Greek works in the average quality of execution.

Temple terracotta sculpture with decorative and religious functions developed. Large statues of gods appeared, larger than Greek statues. In 1916, on the territory of the ancient Etruscan city of Veii, magnificent terracotta statues of Apollo, Hermes, and Venus were found, which were created for the external decoration of the Temple of Apollo (550 - 520 BC).

Features of ancient Roman sculpture

The authors of scientific studies (Oscar Waldhauer, Grant Michael, V.D. Blavatsky) believe that the sculpture of ancient Rome cannot be called a blind imitation of Hellenic images, because Cultural monuments are distinguished by features characteristic of each era of development.

Roman masters departed from the traditions of Greek sculptors and did not create images of an ideal person. Individuality runs through the entire history of Roman portraiture, which is based on the religious custom of creating death masks.

Patricians had the right to keep the image of a deceased ancestor in their homes. The more portraits, the more noble the family. This explains the characteristic features of Roman sculpture: realism, concreteness, knowledge of facial expressions and muscles.

The Greek sculptor, inspired by the ideas of humanism, glorified his gods in marble in the image of a perfect human body. Ancient Roman craftsmen preferred to work with stone, clay and bronze. Their gods had an unpredictable character and inspired fear of becoming a victim of the wrath of higher powers. The sculpture is dominated by allegory and symbolism. Only in the 1st century BC. marble began to be used in Rome.

The works are distinguished by emotional coldness and detachment. The open plasticity of Greek sculptures is contrasted with the image of a Roman covering his head with the edge of his robe while praying.

Hellenic masters saw the type of person: athlete, philosopher, commander. Roman sculptors created portraits in the spirit of extreme naturalism, concretizing the qualities of a person’s character and his individual characteristics.

To the Greek examples of plastic art (statues, herms), the sculptors of Rome add a new form of portrait images - the bust.

The Hellenic sculptor connected creativity with poetic myth. The Roman sculptor perceives the world in distinct forms.

Unlike the Greeks, during the Late Republic (264 - 27 BC) the Romans did little in the way of monumental sculpture. Preference was given to bronze figurines of prominent figures and gods.

Senate resolutions regulated the size, material, and character of the statue. An equestrian and armored portrait could only be installed in the event of a military triumph. The task of the sculptors was to capture the family, clan traits, social rank and status of the Roman.

Many works are identified or have an inscription on the pedestal with information about the model, but the names of the ancient Roman portrait painters have not survived.

Types and genres

The sculpture of ancient Rome consists of two types:

1. Relief (“high” - high relief; “low” - bas-relief).
2. Round sculpture (statue, bust, composition, figurine)

Scientists of the complex science of antiquity have identified the main genres of Roman sculpture:

• historical;
• mythological;
• allegorical;
• symbolic;
• battle;
• portrait.

One of the main types of fine art in Rome is relief. Masters tend to analyze, depict images in detail, and reliably record historical events. The ceremonial fence of the Altar of Peace in Rome (13 - 9 BC), and the reliefs of the imperial period - the Arch of Trajan in Benevento (114 - 117) are recognized as a masterpiece of the early Principate.

Features of sculpture from the heyday

The change of imperial dynasties influenced the stylistic features of ancient Roman sculpture.

Time of the Principate of Augustus

Antiquists call the reign of Augustus (Octavianus Augustus) the “golden age” of the Roman state (27 BC - 14 AD).

Greek sculpture of the classical period with its strict forms serves as an example for the ruler to create a majestic empire. In portrait sculpture, individual features are smoothed out. The typical standard is the general appearance pleasing to the Principate.

The established norm is manifested in the portrait busts of Octavian himself, who demanded that he be depicted as a young, athletic ruler.

The idealization of the image is clearly visible in the statues installed in the forum, in front of (Panthevm), the Roman temple of Mars the Avenger (Tempio di Marte Ultore nel Foro di Roma). In 1863, a two-meter bronze statue commissioned by the Roman Senate was found near Prima Porta.

Augustus is represented by the majestic descendant of the gods, at whose feet Cupid sits on a dolphin. The relief on the shell tells the people about the emperor’s victories in numerous battles. (Chiaramonti Museum - Museo Chiaramonti - Vatican).

Masters create independent female portraits. Sculptural images of children appear for the first time. Depicted on the left relief of the Altar of Peace (Ara Pacis), the beautiful Earth Goddess Tellus holds two babies on her lap, surrounded by figures of well-fed animals.

Art is intended to exalt the prosperity of Rome under the first emperor.

• I recommend reading about:

Time Julius - Claudians (27 - 68 BC) and Flavians (69 - 96 BC)

During the reign of the Julio-Claudians and Flavians, monumental sculpture came to the fore. The glorification of power led to the fact that masters gave even the gods the characteristic features of emperors.

For the first time, realism appears in portraits. For example, the statue of Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) consists of two different parts: a head with a realistic depiction of the aging face of the great pontiff and an ideal figure of the Greek god Jupiter.

The ruler’s appearance is shown using three-dimensional sculpting: a wide forehead with wrinkles, a flabby face, and protruding ears.

The new style replaced the smoothness of the individual features of portrait busts with realistic depictions of Roman emperors. In marble portraits, paint is used to tint lips, and eyeballs are tinted with ivory. In bronze busts, semi-precious stones are inserted into the pupils to add shine to the eyes (portrait of the cunning Pompeii moneylender Caecilius Iucunda).

The genre of female portraiture is developing in two directions: classicist and “veristic”. Ruthless truthfulness is reflected in the portrait of an elderly Roman woman (Vatican Museums, Gregorian Secular Museum - Museo Gregoriano Profano).

A thin, restless face, a wrinkled forehead, and bags under watery eyes indicate impending old age. The female image is presented differently in the statue of a stranger found at the ancient gate of St. Sebastiano (Porta San Sebastiano).

A half-naked Roman woman is depicted as Aphrodite. The woman proudly arched her waist, put her arms akimbo, and put forward her leg, covered with a secured cloth. The portrait head of a middle-aged, powerful Roman woman hardly corresponds to the ideal figure of a goddess (Vatican. Capitoline Museums - Musei Capitolini).

Time of Trajan (98-117) and Hadrian (117 - 138)

During the reigns of Emperor Trajan and Hadrian, the sculpture continues to express the greatness of the Empire. The use of different forms determined two stages of artistic development: Trajan and Hadrian.

Laocoon and sons

The marble sculptural composition depicts the mortal struggle of Laocoon, the priest of the god Apollo, and his sons with snakes.

The work was created in 50 1st century BC. e., is a copy of an unsurvived bronze monument of Greek sculptors (Pergamon, 200 BC). (Michelangelo Buonarroti), sent by Pope Julius II to evaluate the find, confirmed the authenticity of the work and noted the incredible dynamism and plasticity of the creation of the ancient Roman sculptor. One of the most famous sculptures of ancient Rome is kept in (Museo Pio-Clementino), Vatican.

Clay urn from the 6th century BC. is an example of funeral cult monuments.

The lid is made in the form of a human head, decorated with a bronze mask (Canopus Chiusi). The Etruscan master tried to preserve the appearance of the deceased: large facial features, a large nose, narrow lips, straight hair drawn in clay. Portrait likeness was the key to otherworldly immortality. The handles of the ritual vessel are made in the shape of human hands. The desire to create a reliable image became the basis for the appearance of the Etruscan portrait (Paris, Louvre Museum - Musee du Louvre).

Warrior from Capestrano

Antique statue of the 6th century BC. (found in 1934) depicts a calmly standing warrior (Guerriero di Capestrano) of the Piceni tribe.

The author departs from a typical example of ancient Greek sculpture - a kouros (statue of a young athlete) taking a step with his left foot. An unknown sculptor depicts a figure differently than the Greeks with exaggerated massive hips, broad shoulders, a mask on the face, and a helmet with brims of incredible size. The construction of a three-dimensional form with side columns, gaps between the calves of the legs and the waist convinces that the statue of a warrior on the pedestal belongs to a round sculpture. The ancient artifact is on display at the National Archaeological Museum (Chieti).

Winged terracotta horses

The decor of the Temple of Ara della Regina (Dell’Ara della Regina) in Tarquinia was made in the 4th century BC.

The horse figures installed on the pediment of the religious building arched their necks, spread their wings, and kicked their legs in readiness to carry the divine rider skyward. Fairy-tale creatures are close to real images due to muscle tension and nervousness of movements. Winged horses can be seen at the National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia.

Chimera from Arezzo

The Chimera of Arezzo, made in the 5th century BC, is considered the pinnacle of ancient bronze casting.

The fantastic figure of a lion with a goat's head and a snake-shaped tail is an example of symbolism in sculpture. The animal embodies the triune image of the Great Mother of the Gods: the symbol of birth and feeding - the Goat; symbol of life - Leo; death - Snake. The 79 cm high bronze sculpture, found in the 16th century, is exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Florence (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze).

Head of a sullen man

The head of a gloomy man (“Malvolt”), 16.2 cm high, was made in the second half of the 5th century. BC e.

The eyes, both old and young, and the capricious mouth give the sculptural image an unapproachable appearance. Art historians find striking similarities between “Malvolta” and the head of St. George sculpture (Donatello), created by the master thousands of years later. The sculpture found in Veii is kept in the Roman Museum of Villa Giulia.

Marble relief from the Altar of the Peace of Augustus

Capitoline Brutus

Part of a bronze sculpture (the head of a man), discovered during excavations in Rome in 1564, caused a sensation due to its preservation.

Work completed between 300 and 275. BC, is considered a masterpiece of Etruscan art in terms of the power of expressiveness of the image and technique of execution. One of the oldest sculptures found supposedly represents a portrait of the founder of the Roman Republic, Lucius Iunius Brutus (Bruto Capitolino). The face appears alive thanks to the inlay with ivory plates and a colored stone inserted into the pupils. The sculptor conveys the character of an extraordinary person. A fighter against tyranny does not retreat from difficulties. (Capitolian Museums, Palace of the Conservatives).

Statue of Aulus Metellus

A bronze statue of the orator Aulus Metellus (Arringatore), created around 100 BC, was found in 1566 at the bottom of Lake Trasimene.

The speaker, the Roman master Aulus Metellus, extended his hand forward and called for attention. The portrait image is devoid of idealization and frankly reproduces nature: a plump figure, a wrinkled face, a crooked mouth. The work is the first example of an early Roman portrait. The inscription on the border of the toga tells in whose honor the statue was erected. (National Archaeological Museum, Florence - Museo archeologico nazionale di Firenze).

Statue of Germanicus

Marble statue from the end of the 1st century. BC. represents the heroic figure of the Roman military leader and statesman Germanicus.

The adopted nephew of Tiberius (the second Roman emperor) was a man of rare beauty and courage. At the age of 34, he became a victim of palace intrigue and was poisoned with a slow-acting poison. The eloquent commander, capable of science, enjoyed the well-deserved love of the people. The unknown sculptor conveys the youthful grace of the figure and the idealized image of Germanicus, whose death caused universal grief among the Romans. (Paris, Louvre Museum - Musee du Louvre).

In the 15th century, during excavations of the oldest trading square in Rome (Forum Boar), a gilded bronze sculpture of Hercules was found.

The 241 cm tall figure represents the Greek mythological hero Hercules. The work was completed in the 2nd century BC. A slender, muscular athlete defeated Kaka, who stole his cows. In the hero’s right hand is a lowered club, in his left hand are the golden apples of the Hesperides. The statue stood in the Temple of Hercules the Victorious, built in the Forum Boar, where cattle were previously sold. (Rome, Capitoline Museums -Musei Capitolini).

Female sculptural portrait of the Flavian period

A marble portrait of a young Roman woman (1st century AD) reflects the desire of the wives of emperors, their daughters and noble Roman women to show off their beauty and fashion.

A high, complex hairstyle, almond-shaped eyes, fluffy eyebrows, a long neck, and beautifully defined lips give the image a special poetry. The sculptor achieved a softening of the appearance by smoothing the surface of the marble using a technique using a drill. The work, executed in a special artistic manner, is exhibited at the Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini), Rome.

A poetic image of youth and beauty is represented by a marble bust made at the end of the 1st century AD.

The individual features of the young man are emphasized by sad eyes, a strong chin, and a beautifully defined mouth. The sculptor skillfully conveys thick hair, sparkle in the eyes, and elasticity of the skin, but does not idealize the image. The turn of the head, flexible neck, and athletic turn of the shoulders correspond to the sculptures of Hellenic art. (London, British Museum - British Museum).

Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius

The only surviving equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, the last of the five “good emperors” of Rome, was created in the 2nd century. AD The monumental, originally gilded sculpture represents Marcus Aurelius in the image of a thinker, whom his contemporaries called the philosopher on the throne.

The emperor, who does not have a warlike character, is dressed in a tunic with sandals on his bare feet. The idealized appearance of the ruler was identified in the 15th century from minted coins: thick curly hair, prominent cheekbones, bulging eyes. The ancient monument survived because the Christian church mistook the appearance of a horseman for Emperor Constantine. (Capitolian Museums - Musei Capitolini - Palace of the Conservatives).

Hermitage collection

The Roman halls of the Hermitage (The State Hermitage Museum) display 120 works by ancient masters. There are no copies in one of the best collections in the world. All exhibits are authentic. The sculptures kept prototypes of images “alive” and showed the essence of human nature. It is impossible to confuse the soldier emperor Philip the Arab (Marcus Iulius Philippus) with the smug co-ruler of Marcus Aurelius - the handsome Lucius Verus.

The halls display not only portraits of emperors and members of their families, but also sculptures of private individuals. Unnamed masters perfectly conveyed the nature’s belonging to a social type. The curator of the Roman portrait of the Hermitage, candidate of art history A. A. Trofimova calls the bronze bust of an unknown Roman a rare museum exhibit.

The emotional, tragic image of a man with a smart, ironic look still causes debate among experts about the prototype of the hero. Figurines, busts, sculptures of ancient Rome amaze with the variety of plastic forms and richness of characters.

↘️🇮🇹 USEFUL ARTICLES AND SITES 🇮🇹↙️ SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS

were created in such impressive numbers that one relishes the legend that previously the number of statues exceeded the number of inhabitants. It is interesting to figure out how close these conversations are to reality. The talents of the masters of Rome in the field of architecture and engineering have been known since ancient times. Evidence of the genius of the creators has been preserved to this day in the form of monumental structures, stunningly designed villas, domuses and other buildings. However, Ancient Rome remained in a much smaller size than everyone who is partial to art would like.

Unfortunately, a considerable part of bronze and marble sculptures at the dawn of our era was destroyed due to the disagreement of Christian preachers with the works of the masters. In battles with barbarian tribes, the inhabitants of Rome did not shy away from throwing sculptures from great heights in order to cool the attacking impulse of the invaders. After destruction, marble products were used differently: with the help of annealing in Rome, fragments of once stunning sculptures were turned into limestone, which was used in construction.

Due to the bloody events at the junction of civilizations, sculptures of Ancient Rome, which form an important part of the cultural heritage, have been preserved in fairly small quantities. Now you can get acquainted with the best examples when visiting the Vatican and Capitol Museums, the Baths of Diocletian, the Palazzo and Villa Giulia. The collection of sculptures was assembled thanks to the efforts of cardinals, aristocrats of Rome and top clergy. It was not easy to get the best works, which were passed down from older family members to younger ones. Sculptures of Ancient Rome are kept in museums that deserve a separate discussion.

Where it all began

When creating sculptures of Ancient Rome, the masters took many decisions from the classical Greek school. Since the distance from the Eternal City to some areas of Greece was not so great, the Romans regularly brought home Hellenistic statues of great cultural value. After a detailed analysis of the technology used and the characteristic features of the creations, the creation of copies began in Rome.

The great popularity of Hellenistic art and sculptures from the neighboring state is primarily explained by the advance towards Greek lands with aggressive goals. Experienced craftsmen often came to Rome to decorate the private estates of the nobility with new works. The gradual cultural unification, which manifested itself not only in copying the technique of creating sculptures, had a huge impact on the development of art in Rome.

The sculptures of Ancient Rome were also used for political purposes, serving as one of the tools for inculcating the ideas and principles of the political system among the people. The high status of fine art was used by the top officials of the state in order to bring to life the “curse of memory.” In Rome, it was previously considered the norm to destroy references in documents, sculptures and wall inscriptions that were dedicated to tyrants or politicians disliked by the vast majority. One of the most striking examples of the “curse of memory” in Rome can be called actions related to attempts to erase the emperor from history.

Sculptures of Ancient Rome: what to look for in the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are a treasure trove of sculptures that were created in Ancient Rome and have been successfully preserved to this day. The museum complex was founded by Pope Julius II at the very beginning of the 16th century. More than two centuries later, everyone received the right to freely walk around the attraction, looking at sculptures and other works created in Rome.

Be sure to purchase your museum tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line. This can be done link on the official site.

At the moment, there are sculpture museums here that allow you to learn in detail how art developed in the Eternal City:

1. Pio Cristiano houses sculptures of Ancient Rome created during the period of early Christianity within its walls.
2. The Gregorian Museum houses sculptures preserved in Rome from the time of the ancient Etruscan civilization.
3. The Profano Museum will introduce guests to the classical works of masters from Ancient Greece.
4. Chiaramonti includes a number of galleries presenting approximately 1,000 sculptures and everything related to this type of art: busts of great men of Rome, friezes and funerary sarcophagi.
5. The Pio-Clementino Museum will appeal to those who want to know what classical sculptures of Ancient Rome looked like.
6. The museum, dedicated to Egyptian culture, is a huge repository of sculptures, decorations and architectural elements brought to Rome from Egypt.

Sculptures of Ancient Rome on display at the National Museum of the city

When visiting, you will notice an impressive collection of works directly related to the development of cultural movements in the Eternal City. In 1889, an archaeological museum appeared on the map of Rome, but in the early 90s of the last century it was decided to reorganize and place several exhibition areas with ancient sculptures within the museum.

Palazzo Massimo

Stunning sculptures of Ancient Rome are kept on the 1st floor of Palazzo Massimo. Here you can trace the development of art from the reign of the Flavians to the decline of ancient culture. Virtually all existing works are copies of Greek sculptures made of marble.

The pride of Palazzo Massimo are the bronze sculptures discovered in Rome at the end of the 19th century, which were created by masters from Greece.

Palatine Antiquarium

The museum, founded in the 19th century, is located on the central hill of Rome. The purpose of the creation was to place the found sculptures by archaeologists who worked during the time of Napoleon III near the Palatine. A rather modest-looking two-story building contains materials that can be used to trace the history of the hill. Of greatest interest are sculptures dating back to the period of republicanism, as well as the reigns of Augustus and Julius-Claudius.

Sculptures of Ancient Rome: Palazzo Altemps

The palace, built by special order for the Riario family, will also be of interest to all those who study the sculptures of Ancient Rome. More precisely, you need to pay attention to one of the rooms with a section called “History of Collecting”. Here are sculptures from the Boncompagni-Ludovisi collections. The work “The Suicide of Galata” is kept in the Palazzo Altemps.

It is a marble sculpture, the appearance of which was copied in Rome from the creation of Greek bronze masters.

Sculptures of Ancient Rome in Musei Capitolini

The first ever museum in Rome was founded by the pontiff at the end of 1471. The general public gained the right to evaluate the collected collection in the 18th century. Thus, Musei Capitolini can be considered the first public museum in the world, the owners of which decided to allow everyone access to examples of artistic art. The attraction, which houses sculptures of Ancient Rome, has acquired many works over the years of its existence.

Sculpture of Hercules Capitoline

Bronze sculpture created in Ancient Rome, which was found during excavations in the Forum Boar. Historians believe that the work appeared in its final form 2 centuries before the beginning of our era. The sculpture was of great importance to the pagans of that time.

Sculptures of Ancient Rome: Capitoline Brutus (Bruto Capitolino)

A creation made of bronze. According to historians of Rome, it is one of the oldest in the Eternal City. The fact is that the sculpture was created about three centuries before the beginning of our era. The bust is considered to be a masterpiece of Ancient Rome. Capitoline Brutus is a depiction of the founder of the republic and one of the consuls.

Similar features were found when comparing the bust with coins created half a century BC, when power in Rome belonged to Brutus (the same one who killed Julius Caesar). During the excavations, only the head was found, the condition of which was assessed as good, despite centuries of oblivion. Craftsmen from Rome used ivory to decorate the eyeballs. It is believed that the sculpture was originally created, but other parts are irretrievably lost.

Sculptures of Ancient Rome: Boy removing a splinter (Spinario)

An example of ancient art, which Renaissance craftsmen repeatedly tried to copy. At the moment, many major museums in the world have their own version of that same bronze sculpture. The original is still in Rome. The basis for its creation was the legend of a shepherd boy who fled to Rome from Vitorchiano in order to notify about the imminent attack of the Etruscans. The boy heroically endured the pain caused by a splinter in his leg.

This sculpture was created within the 3rd-1st centuries BC from bronze. It is one of the first examples given to Rome by Sixtus IV.

OUR ADVICE. If you're planning to visit the Colosseum and other attractions in Rome, consider the Rome City Pass, which can save you time and money. The cost of the card includes skip-the-line tickets to the main attractions of Rome, transfer from the airport and back, travel on a tourist bus and discounts on many museums and other interesting places in Rome. Detailed information .

The marble sculpture, now housed in the Musei Capitolini, is another copy of Hellenistic art. The work was found quite by accident on the Aventine Hill back in the 18th century, after which it was immediately sent to one of the most famous museums in Rome.

The sculptures of Ancient Rome can be seen not only when visiting museums: everyone interested in the topic is recommended to go to Villa Giulia, where examples dating back to the Etruscan civilization have been preserved. Noteworthy sculptures of Ancient Rome are presented in the Borghese Gallery and in other cultural sites of the Italian capital.

Without the foundation laid by Greece and Rome, there would be no modern Europe. Both the Greeks and the Romans had their own historical vocation - they complemented each other, and the foundation of modern Europe is their common cause.

The artistic heritage of Rome meant a lot in the cultural foundation of Europe. Moreover, this legacy was almost decisive for European art.

In conquered Greece, the Romans initially behaved like barbarians. In one of his satires, Juvenal shows us a rude Roman warrior of those times, “who did not know how to appreciate the art of the Greeks,” who “as usual” broke “cups made by famous artists” into small pieces in order to decorate his shield or armor with them.

And when the Romans heard about the value of works of art, the destruction gave way to robbery - wholesale, apparently, without any selection. The Romans took five hundred statues from Epirus in Greece, and having defeated the Etruscans even before that, they took two thousand from Veii. It is unlikely that these were all masterpieces.

It is generally accepted that the fall of Corinth in 146 BC. The actual Greek period of ancient history ends. This flourishing city on the shores of the Ionian Sea, one of the main centers of Greek culture, was razed to the ground by the soldiers of the Roman consul Mummius. Consular ships removed countless artistic treasures from the burned palaces and temples, so that, as Pliny writes, literally the whole of Rome was filled with statues.

The Romans not only brought a great variety of Greek statues (in addition, they brought Egyptian obelisks), but copied Greek originals on a wide scale. And for this alone we should be grateful to them. What, however, was the actual Roman contribution to the art of sculpture? Around the trunk of Trajan's Column, erected at the beginning of the 2nd century. BC e. in the Forum of Trajan, above the very grave of this emperor, a relief curls like a wide ribbon, glorifying his victories over the Dacians, whose kingdom (present-day Romania) was finally conquered by the Romans. The artists who created this relief were undoubtedly not only talented, but also well acquainted with the techniques of Hellenistic masters. And yet this is a typical Roman work.

Before us is the most detailed and conscientious narration. It is a narrative, not a generalized image. In Greek relief, the story of real events was presented allegorically, usually intertwined with mythology. In the Roman relief, since the times of the Republic, the desire to be as accurate as possible is clearly visible, more specifically convey the course of events in its logical sequence, along with the characteristic features of the persons participating in them. In the relief of Trajan's Column we see Roman and barbarian camps, preparations for a campaign, assaults on fortresses, crossings, and merciless battles. Everything seems to be really very accurate: the types of Roman soldiers and Dacians, their weapons and clothing, the type of fortifications - so this relief can serve as a kind of sculptural encyclopedia of the military life of that time. In its general design, the entire composition rather resembles the already familiar relief narratives of the abusive exploits of the Assyrian kings, but with less pictorial power, although with better knowledge of anatomy and the ability, coming from the Greeks, to more freely arrange figures in space. The low relief, without any plastic identification of the figures, may have been inspired by unpreserved paintings. Images of Trajan himself are repeated at least ninety times, the faces of the warriors are extremely expressive.

It is this same concreteness and expressiveness that constitute the distinctive feature of all Roman portrait sculpture, in which, perhaps, the originality of the Roman artistic genius was most clearly manifested.

The purely Roman share included in the treasury of world culture is perfectly defined (precisely in connection with the Roman portrait) by the greatest connoisseur of ancient art O.F. Waldhauer: “...Rome exists as an individual; Rome exists in those strict forms in which ancient images were revived under its rule; Rome is in that great organism that spread the seeds of ancient culture, giving them the opportunity to fertilize new, still barbarian peoples, and, finally, Rome is in the creation of a civilized world on the basis of cultural Hellenic elements and, modifying them in accordance with new tasks, only Rome and could create... a great era of portrait sculpture...".

The Roman portrait has a complex backstory. Its connection with the Etruscan portrait is obvious, as well as with the Hellenistic one. The Roman root is also quite clear: the first Roman portraiture in marble or bronze was simply an exact reproduction of a wax mask taken from the face of the deceased. This is not art in the usual sense.

In subsequent times, accuracy remained at the core of Roman artistic portraiture. Precision inspired by creative inspiration and remarkable craftsmanship. The legacy of Greek art, of course, played a role here. But we can say without exaggeration: the art of a vividly individualized portrait, brought to perfection, completely revealing the inner world of a given person, is essentially a Roman achievement. In any case, in terms of the scope of creativity, the strength and depth of psychological penetration.

The Roman portrait reveals to us the spirit of Ancient Rome in all its aspects and contradictions. A Roman portrait is, as it were, the very history of Rome, told in faces, the story of its unprecedented rise and tragic death: “The entire history of the Roman fall is expressed here in eyebrows, foreheads, lips” (Herzen).

Among the Roman emperors there were noble personalities, major statesmen, there were also greedy ambitious people, there were monsters, despots,

maddened by unlimited power, and in the consciousness that everything was permitted to them, who shed a sea of ​​blood, were the gloomy tyrants, who by the murder of their predecessor achieved the highest rank and therefore destroyed everyone who inspired them with the slightest suspicion. As we have seen, the morals born of the deified autocracy sometimes pushed even the most enlightened to the most cruel acts.

During the period of greatest power of the empire, a tightly organized slave-owning system, in which the life of a slave was considered nothing and he was treated like a work animal, left its mark on the morality and life of not only emperors and nobles, but also ordinary citizens. And at the same time, encouraged by the pathos of statehood, the desire to streamline social life throughout the empire in the Roman way increased, with full confidence that there could not be a more durable and beneficial system. But this confidence turned out to be unfounded.

Continuous wars, internecine strife, provincial uprisings, the flight of slaves, and the consciousness of lawlessness increasingly undermined the foundation of the “Roman world” with each passing century. The conquered provinces showed their will more and more decisively. And in the end they undermined the unifying power of Rome. The provinces destroyed Rome; Rome itself turned into a provincial city, similar to others, privileged, but no longer dominant, ceasing to be the center of a world empire... The Roman state turned into a gigantic complex machine solely for sucking the juices out of its subjects.

New trends coming from the East, new ideals, searches for new truth gave birth to new beliefs. The decline of Rome was coming, the decline of the ancient world with its ideology and social structure.

All this was reflected in Roman portrait sculpture.

During the republic, when morals were harsher and simpler, the documentary accuracy of the image, the so-called “verism” (from the word verus - true), was not yet balanced by the Greek ennobling influence. This influence manifested itself in the age of Augustus, sometimes even to the detriment of truthfulness.

The famous full-length statue of Augustus, where he is shown in all the pomp of imperial power and military glory (statue from Prima Porta, Rome, Vatican), as well as his image in the form of Jupiter himself (Hermitage), of course, idealized ceremonial portraits equating earthly ruler to the celestials. And yet, they reveal the individual traits of Augustus, the relative balance and undoubted significance of his personality.

Numerous portraits of his successor, Tiberius, are also idealized.

Let's look at the sculptural portrait of Tiberius in his youth (Copenhagen, Glyptothek). Ennobled image. And at the same time, of course, individual. Something unsympathetic, grumpily withdrawn appears in his features. Perhaps, placed in different conditions, this person would outwardly live his life quite decently. But eternal fear and unlimited power. And it seems to us that the artist captured in his image something that even the insightful Augustus did not recognize when appointing Tiberius as his successor.

But the portrait of Tiberius’s successor, Caligula (Copenhagen, Glyptothek), a murderer and torturer, who was ultimately stabbed to death by his confidant, is already completely revealing, for all its noble restraint. His gaze is terrible, and you feel that there can be no mercy from this very young ruler (he ended his terrible life at twenty-nine years old) with tightly compressed lips, who loved to remind him that he could do anything: and with anyone. Looking at the portrait of Caligula, we believe all the stories about his countless atrocities. “He forced fathers to be present at the execution of their sons,” writes Suetonius, “he sent a stretcher for one of them when he tried to evade due to ill health; the other, immediately after the spectacle of the execution, invited him to the table and with all sorts of pleasantries forced him to joke and have fun.” And another Roman historian, Dion, adds that when the father of one of those executed “asked if he could at least close his eyes, he ordered his father to be killed too.” And also from Suetonius: “When the price of cattle, which were used to fatten wild animals for spectacles, became more expensive, he ordered that criminals be thrown to them to be torn to pieces; and, going around the prisons for this, he did not look at who was to blame for what, but directly ordered, standing at the door, to take everyone away...” Ominous in its cruelty is the low-browed face of Nero, the most famous of the crowned monsters of Ancient Rome (marble, Rome, National Museum).

The style of Roman sculptural portraits changed along with the general attitude of the era. Documentary truthfulness, pomp, reaching the point of deification, the most acute realism, the depth of psychological penetration alternately prevailed in him, and even complemented each other. But as long as the Roman idea was alive, his pictorial power did not dry out.

Emperor Hadrian earned the reputation of a wise ruler; it is known that he was an enlightened connoisseur of art, a zealous admirer of the classical heritage of Hellas. His features, carved in marble, his thoughtful gaze, along with a slight touch of sadness, complement our idea of ​​him, just as his portraits complement our idea of ​​Caracalla, truly capturing the quintessence of bestial cruelty, the most unbridled, violent power. But the true “philosopher on the throne,” a thinker filled with spiritual nobility, appears to be Marcus Aurelius, who preached stoicism and renunciation from earthly goods in his writings.

Truly unforgettable images in their expressiveness!

But the Roman portrait resurrects before us not only the images of emperors.

Let us stop in the Hermitage in front of a portrait of an unknown Roman, probably executed at the very end of the 1st century. This is an undoubted masterpiece in which Roman precision of the image is combined with traditional Hellenic craftsmanship, the documentary nature of the image with inner spirituality. We do not know who the author of the portrait is - a Greek, who gave his talent to Rome with its worldview and tastes, a Roman or another artist, an imperial subject, inspired by Greek models, but firmly rooted in Roman soil - just as the authors (mostly, probably slaves) and other remarkable sculptures created in the Roman era.

This image depicts an elderly man who has seen a lot in his lifetime and experienced a lot, in whom you can guess some kind of painful suffering, perhaps from deep thoughts. The image is so real, truthful, snatched so tenaciously from the midst of humanity and so skillfully revealed in its essence that it seems to us that we have met this Roman, are familiar with him, that’s almost exactly the same - even if our comparison is unexpected - as we know , for example, the heroes of Tolstoy's novels.

And the same persuasiveness is in another famous masterpiece from the Hermitage, a marble portrait of a young woman, conventionally named “Syrian” based on her face type.

This is already the second half of the 2nd century: the woman depicted is a contemporary of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

We know that it was an era of revaluation of values, increased Eastern influences, new romantic moods, maturing mysticism, which foreshadowed the crisis of Roman great-power pride. “The time of human life is a moment,” wrote Marcus Aurelius, “its essence is an eternal flow; the feeling is vague; the structure of the whole body is perishable; the soul is unstable; fate is mysterious; glory is unreliable."

The image of the “Syrian Woman” breathes with the melancholic contemplation characteristic of many portraits of this time. But her thoughtful dreaminess - we feel this - is deeply individual, and again she herself seems familiar to us for a long time, almost even dear, just as the sculptor’s vital chisel, with sophisticated work, extracted her enchanting and spiritual features from white marble with a delicate bluish tint .

And here is the emperor again, but a special emperor: Philip the Arab, who emerged at the height of the crisis of the 3rd century. - bloody "imperial leapfrog" - from the ranks of the provincial legion. This is his official portrait. The soldier’s severity of the image is all the more significant: that was the time when, in general ferment, the army became a stronghold of imperial power.

Furrowed brows. A menacing, wary look. Heavy, fleshy nose. Deep wrinkles on the cheeks, forming a triangle with a sharp horizontal line of thick lips. A powerful neck, and on the chest there is a wide transverse fold of the toga, which finally gives the entire marble bust truly granite massiveness, laconic strength and integrity.

Here is what Waldhauer writes about this wonderful portrait, also kept in our Hermitage: “The technique is simplified to the extreme... The facial features are developed with deep, almost rough lines with a complete refusal of detailed surface modeling. The personality, as such, is characterized mercilessly, highlighting the most important features.”

A new style, a new way of achieving monumental expressiveness. Is this not the influence of the so-called barbarian periphery of the empire, increasingly penetrating through the provinces that have become rivals of Rome?

In the general style of the bust of Philip the Arab, Waldhauer recognizes features that will be fully developed in medieval sculptural portraits of French and German cathedrals.

Ancient Rome became famous for its high-profile deeds and accomplishments that surprised the world, but its decline was gloomy and painful.

An entire historical era was ending. The outdated system had to give way to a new, more advanced one; slave society - to degenerate into a feudal one.

In 313, long-persecuted Christianity was recognized as the state religion in the Roman Empire, which at the end of the 4th century. became dominant throughout the Roman Empire.

Christianity, with its preaching of humility, asceticism, with its dream of paradise not on earth, but in heaven, created a new mythology, the heroes of which, the devotees of the new faith, who accepted the crown of martyrdom for it, took the place that once belonged to the gods and goddesses who personified the life-affirming principle , earthly love and earthly joy. It spread gradually, and therefore, even before its legalized triumph, Christian teaching and the social sentiments that prepared it radically undermined the ideal of beauty that once shone with full light on the Athenian Acropolis and which was accepted and approved by Rome throughout the entire world under its control.

The Christian Church tried to put into concrete form unshakable religious beliefs a new worldview in which the East, with its fears of the unsolved forces of nature, the eternal struggle with the Beast, found a response among the disadvantaged of the entire ancient world. And although the ruling elite of this world hoped to solder the decrepit Roman power with a new universal religion, the worldview, born of the need for social transformation, undermined the unity of the empire along with the ancient culture from which Roman statehood arose.

Twilight of the ancient world, twilight of great ancient art. Throughout the empire, majestic palaces, forums, baths and triumphal arches are still being built, according to the old canons, but these are only repetitions of what was achieved in previous centuries.

The colossal head - about one and a half meters - from the statue of Emperor Constantine, who in 330 moved the capital of the empire to Byzantium, which became Constantinople - the “Second Rome” (Rome, Palazzo of the Conservatives). The face is built correctly, harmoniously, according to Greek models. But the main thing in this face is the eyes: it seems that if you closed them, there would be no face itself... What in the Fayum portraits or the Pompeian portrait of a young woman gave the image an inspired expression, here is taken to the extreme, exhausting the entire image. The ancient balance between spirit and body is clearly violated in favor of the former. Not a living human face, but a symbol. A symbol of power, imprinted in the gaze, power that subjugates everything earthly, impassive, unyielding and inaccessibly high. No, even if the image of the emperor retains portrait features, it is no longer a portrait sculpture.

The triumphal arch of Emperor Constantine in Rome is impressive. Its architectural composition is strictly maintained in the classical Roman style. But in the relief narrative glorifying the emperor, this style disappears almost without a trace. The relief is so low that the small figures appear flat, not sculptured, but scratched out. They line up monotonously, clinging to each other. We look at them with amazement: this is a world completely different from the world of Hellas and Rome. There is no revival - and the seemingly forever overcome frontality is resurrected!

A porphyry statue of the imperial co-rulers - the tetrarchs, who at that time ruled over individual parts of the empire. This sculptural group marks both an end and a beginning.

The end - because it has decisively ended with the Hellenic ideal of beauty, the smooth roundness of forms, the harmony of the human figure, the grace of composition, the softness of modeling. That roughness and simplicity, which gave special expressiveness to the Hermitage portrait of Philip the Arab, became here, as it were, an end in itself. Almost cubic, crudely carved heads. There is not even a hint of portraiture, as if human individuality is no longer worthy of depiction.

In 395, the Roman Empire broke up into the Western - Latin and Eastern - Greek. In 476, the Western Roman Empire fell under the blows of the Germans. A new historical era called the Middle Ages has arrived.

A new page has opened in the history of art.

The culture of Ancient Rome existed for more than 12 centuries and had its own unique values. The art of Ancient Rome glorified the veneration of the gods, love of the Fatherland, and soldier's honor. Many reports have been prepared on Ancient Rome, which tell about its achievements.

Culture of Ancient Rome

Scientists divide the history of ancient Roman culture into three periods:

• Tsarsky (8th-6th centuries BC)
• Republican (6th-1st centuries BC)
• Imperial (1st century BC - 5th century AD)

Tsarsky is considered a primitive period in terms of cultural development, however, it was then that the Romans developed their own alphabet.

The artistic culture of the Romans was similar to the Hellenic, but had its own characteristic features. For example, the sculpture of Ancient Rome acquired emotions. On the faces of the characters, Roman sculptors began to convey the state of mind. There were especially numerous sculptures of contemporaries - Caesar, Crassus, various gods, and ordinary citizens.

During the times of Ancient Rome, such a literary concept as a “novel” first appeared. Among the poets who wrote comedies, the most famous was Lucilius, who wrote poems on everyday topics. His favorite topic was ridiculing the obsession with achieving various riches.

TOP 4 articleswho are reading along with this

The Roman Livius Andronicus, who worked as a tragic actor, knew Greek. He managed to translate Homer's Odyssey into Latin. Probably, under the impression of the work, Virgil will soon write his “Aeneid” about the Trojan Aeneas, who became the distant ancestor of all Romans.

Rice. 1. The Rape of the Sabine Women.

Philosophy has achieved extraordinary development. The following philosophical movements were formed: Roman Stoicism, whose task was to achieve spiritual and moral ideals, and Neoplatonism, the essence of which was the development of the highest spiritual point of the human soul and the achievement of ecstasy.

In Rome, the ancient scientist Ptolemy created a geocentric system of the world. He also owns numerous works on mathematics and geography.

The music of Ancient Rome copied the Greek. Musicians, actors and sculptors were invited from Hellas. The odes of Horace and Ovid were popular. Over time, musical performances acquired a spectacular character, accompanied by theatrical performances or gladiatorial fights.

A letter from the Roman poet Martial has been preserved, in which he claims that if he becomes a music teacher, he will be guaranteed a comfortable old age. This suggests that musicians were in great demand in Rome.

Fine art in Rome was utilitarian in nature. It was presented by the Romans as a way to fill and organize living space. It, like architecture, was carried out in the form of monumentality and grandeur.

To summarize, we note that Roman culture can be considered a successor to Greek, however, the Romans introduced and improved a lot in it. In other words, the student has surpassed the teacher.

Rice. 2. Construction of a Roman road.

In architecture, the Romans built their buildings to last for centuries. The Baths of Caracalla are a striking example of gigantism in construction. Architects used such techniques as the use of palaestras, peristyle courtyards, and gardens. The baths were equipped with sophisticated technical equipment.

Majestic Roman structures include roads that are still in use today, the famous defensive ramparts of Trajan and Hadrian, aqueducts and, of course, the Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum).

Rice. 3. Colosseum.

What have we learned?

Speaking briefly about the culture of Ancient Rome, we note that created with a militaristic and majestic orientation, created for centuries, laid the foundation for the entire future European culture, it left its mark on the development of civilization and aroused admiration among descendants.

Test on the topic

Evaluation of the report

Average rating: 4.6. Total ratings received: 244.

The ancient Greeks admired the beauty of the human body. They appreciated everything beautiful, and believed that the main thing in a person is the harmony of external appearance and internal qualities. This was reflected in their classical sculpture: in statues of Olympian gods and heroes depicted with ideal bodily forms.

Sculptures of Ancient Greece and Rome

The best period in the creation of ancient Greek sculptural masterpieces is considered to be the 6th-5th centuries. BC. Works of art were created according to the principle of symmetry, the poses of the statues were simple, and the face radiated a joyful smile. Later, during the Classical era, sculptors created stunning statues in a greater variety of shapes and poses.
There were many schools of plastic arts in Ancient Greece. During the classical period, the most famous was the school of sculpture in. The greatest sculptor of this time, Phidias, is the author of the sculptural masterpieces of the Parthenon. During the Hellenistic era, other centers of plastic art began to appear - Rhodes, Alexandria and Pergamon. The most famous sculptors of that period are Polydorus, Athenodorus, Agesander, Chares. The famous “Aphrodite de Milo” was created by Agesander. Hares is the author of one of the seven “wonders of the world” - the huge statue of the “Colossus of Rhodes”.
Ancient Roman sculpture is only an imitation and continuation of Greek art. All masters of sculpture in Ancient Rome were Greeks. The Roman style differs from the Greek in its greater rudeness, coldness and realism in its images.

Sculptors of Ancient Rome

The history of Rome has preserved a small number of names of famous sculptors. But, at the same time, there are a lot of statues in the city, some of which were brought from and. In the Ancient Roman period, artists - painters and sculptors, were equated with artisans, their work was considered humiliating. At this time, a sculptural portrait appears, depicting a specific person, and not a deity. One of the most famous statues of Octavian