AP Art History – UNIT SEVEN
Roman Art
“MERIT
- Acronym for Monuments, Engineering, Realism, Interior Space, and Temples—all of which
play a part in Roman contributions to the West. Merit is also a term connected to the idea of
virtue and praise, which allows us to discuss the Roman use of sculpture and architecture for
propagandistic purposes.
Key Concepts:
Ancient Rome
-Power and rule: shifts in authority and territory; writings of Virgil and Ovid; architectural
innovations; entertainment; Roman pantheon vs. Greek; sacred spaces; commemorative
architecture: triumphal arch, etc; portraits; four styles of mural painting; cross-cultural influences
MORE SPECIFICALLY: From Seven Hills to Three Continents
-Insatiable taste for all that is Greek
-Pragmatism, utilitarianism, and organization in society and art
-Large-scale public works and propaganda art in the service of the state
-Imperial Rome and the emperor’s patronage
-Engineering: arch, dome, vault, and the use of concrete sculpt interior space
-Transition in sculpture: realism, idealism, and the decline
-Illusionism in painting: linear and atmospheric perspective
-The legacy of Roman engineering and the use of concrete—Roman roads, bridges, aqueducts,
and arenas; the arch and the vault; portraiture; Roman temples, monuments, and the use of
propaganda in the Empire; Roman cities, houses, and wall-painting styles; Republican verism; the
Julian Line—Julius Caesar to Claudius; Augustus and Pax Romana; Hadrian, the Pantheon, and
Tivoli; equestrian statues; the division of the Empire; baths; Constantine and the advent of
Christianity; the architectural vocabulary of the basilica.
Date
Mon.
9/23/13
Topic
Era of Ancient Republic
(Comparisons between Roman &
Greek)
Tues.
9/24/13
Pompeii & Pompeian Painting
Wed.
9/25/13
Thurs.
9/26/13
Fri.
9/27/13
Roman Architecture
The Colosseum
Art in the Age of Augustus
Works of Art
 Maison Carree (vs. the
Parathenon)
 Osiomo Bust (vs. Philip of
Macedon)
 Roman Patrician with bust
of Ancestors (vs.
Demostheres)
 Map of Pompeii
 Boscoreale
 Gardenscape style
 Ixion Room
 Still Life with Peaches
 Pont du Gard
 Pantheon
 Colosseum
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Augustus of Primaporta
Ara Pacis
Flavian Woman
AP Art History – UNIT SEVEN
Mon.
9/30/13
High Imperial Art
Tues.
10/1/13
Late Imperial Art
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Wed.
SHORT ESSAY DAY!
10/2/13
Thurs.
LONG ESSAY DAY!
10/3/13
Fri. 10/4/13 – Fri. 10/11/13 (6 Days)
Arch of Titus (and reliefs)
Column of Trajan
Marcus Aurelius (on horse)
Ludorisi Battle
Sarcophagus
Tetrarchs
Constantine
Arch of Constantine
Greek/Roman Project
Vocabulary: (20)
Bust; Patrician; Controposto; Frescos; Perspective; Aqueduct; Arch; Keystone; Archae;
Ash Lar Masonry; Oculus; Coffiers; Rotunda/Dome; Groin Vault; Barrel Vault; Empire;
Relief; Harivackia?; Sarcophagus; Spolia;