Gardner’s Art Through the Ages,
13e
Chapter 9
The Etruscans – Study Guide
1
COMPARE/CONTRAST
-Materials
-Design
Figure 5-44
IKTINOS
and KALLIKRATES,
Etruscan
temple
sculpture
was located on
Parthenon,
(Temple
of Athena
Parthenos,
the roof peak
and not
on a frieze.
The
looking was
southeast),
temple
set on Acropolis,
a podium Athens,
and hadGreece,
a
447–438
BCE. porch. The Etruscan temple
deep
recessed
was made of wood and brick. The
Parthenon included a sculptural program.
It was part of the pedimental structure
and not a freestanding element as seen in
the Etruscan temple. Perhaps the
important change and adaptation is the
overall aesthetic vision each structure
Figure 9-3 Model
a typical
represented.
The of
identity
of sixth-century
the Parthenon
BCEsculptural
Etruscan temple,
as described
by
was
whereas
the Etruscan
Vitruvius.
Istituto
di Etruscologia
e diIt was a
temple
was
a shelter
for the gods.
Antichità
Università
di Roma,
home
forItaliche,
the gods.
Its identity
was Rome.
architectural.
2
•
One example of these rooftop statues is the life-size image of
Apulu (Apollo) from a temple in the Portonaccio sanctuary at Veii.
•
•
ca. 510–500 B.C. Painted terracotta, approx. 5' 11" high
Paint & drapery is reminiscent of the Korai.
•
However much more lively & animated than the Greek statuesdemonstrates the Etruscan power through its massiveness and
energy.
•
This shows that the Etruscans were influenced by the Greeks, but
did not fully adapt to their style.
•
Apulu of Veii has the animated face, swelling contours, and
gesticulating arms characteristic of Etruscan works.
•
Expressive and emotional.
Figure 9-4 Apulu (Apollo), from the roof of the Portonaccio temple,
Veii, Italy, ca. 510–500 BCE. Painted terracotta, 5’ 11” high. Museo
Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome.
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-One of the most memorable
portrayals of an animal in
history.
-Larger than life size
portrayal of a she-wolf.
-Nursed Romulus and
Remus after they were
abandoned as infants
-When the twins grew to
adulthood they
quarreled and Romulus
killed his brother.
What is this
-On artwork?
April 21, 753 BCE
Romulus founded Rome
and became the cities
king.
And why is
-The defiant image
became the new
government totem and
has remained the
emblem of Rome to this
day.
it important?
Figure 9-11 Capitoline Wolf, from Rome, Italy, ca. 500–480 BCE. Bronze, 2’ 7 1/2” high. Musei Capitolini, Rome.
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•
•
•
•
Story of Romulus
and Remus
•
•
To the left of the city hall, you will see a little-noticed column and an important
symbol of Rome: the Capitoline She-Wolf!
This is a stone copy of an original Etruscan bronze that you can see inside the
museum. The figure of Romulus and Remus were added later.
Here is the legend of Romulus, Remus, and the foundation of Rome.
Amulius was a wicked king that was ruling the kingdom of Alba Longo. He had
a brother, Numitor, that he fought and sent into exile. Numitor's daughter, Rhea
Silvia, was forced to become a Vestal, and thus, not allowed to marry or have
children. Mars, the God of War, saw her and fell in love. Soon enough, Rhea
Silvia gave birth to twin boys. Furious, Amulius ordered the babies to be thrown
in the Tiber. The slave that had to carry the task couldn't do it and just left the
babies' basket to float. A she-wolf that had just lost her cubs saw the basket, and
out of curiosity, reached for it and saved the boys. She looked after them for a
while, the babies feeding on her milk. One day, a shepherd called Faustulus saw
the boys with the wolf and brought them back home. He and his wife adopted
them and named them Romulus and Remus. When grown, the boys became
shepherds like their adopted father.
When guarding their sheep, Remus had a fight with a shepherd that was tending
to Numitor's sheep. He was arrested and brought before Numitor. He had
Remus tell his whole story and realized that he and his brother were his
grandsons.
Later, Romulus and Remus attacked their great uncle Amulius and killed him.
Numitor moved into Alba Longa, and the twins were living with him. However,
they were missing their previous lives and decided to go to the spot where
Faustulus found them and build a city of their own. Romulus favored the
Palatine Hill, while Remus wanted to build on the Aventine. They could not
agree and decided to build a city each. While Romulus was tracing the limits of
his city, Remus came by and made fun of how easy it was for someone to breach
the walls of this city and jumped over the line Romulus had just traced. This was
an act of an aggression and whoever did it had to be put to death, so Romulus
killed his brother. However, as a tribute to Remus's memory, he called his city
Rome.
Based partially on fact, Romulus is thought to have been the first king of Rome
around 753 BC.
More info: http://www1.unifi.it/surfchem/solid/bardi/chimera/chimarezzo.html
-Chimera of Arezzo.
-Century later than the
Capitoline Wolf.
-Chimera is a monster of
Greek invention with a lions
head and body and a
serpent’s tail.
-Second Head (Goat) grows
out of the lions left side.
Goat’s neck bears the wound
of the Grek hero Bellerophon
inflicted when he hunted and
slew the composite beast.
-The Chimera echoes the
ferocious nature of the wild
beast seen in the Capitoline
Wolf. It is wounded yet still
defiant, still ready to engage
in combat to the death.
-expressive and emotional.
Figure 9-12 Chimera of Arezzo, from Arezzo, Italy, first half of fourth century BCE. Bronze, 2’ 7
1/2” high. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence.
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-Cistae - Container made for
women’s toiletry articles.
-Engravings indicate Rome’s
growing power in central
Italy
-Made of Sheet bronze with
cast handles and feet with
elaborately engraved bodies
-Inscription on the handle
states:
-Dindia Macolnia, a
local noblewoman gave
the container to her
daughter.
Figure 9-13 NOVIOS PLAUTIOS, Ficoroni
Cista, from Palestrina, Italy, late fourth century
BCE. Bronze, 2’ 6” high. Museo Nazionale di
Villa Giulia, Rome.
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Figure 9-5 Sarcophagus with reclining couple, from Cerveteri, Italy, ca. 520 BCE.
Painted terracotta, 3’ 9 1/2” X 6’ 7”. Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome.
How do these works reflect
the status of women?
The sarcophagus shows the wife joining her
husband at the banquet and participating in
the event. She is not segregated and isolated as
in Greek society. The cista illustrates the status
of women in Etruscan society. Dindia Macolnia
is commissioning this work for her daughter,
independent of her husband. It points to the
ability of the Etruscan woman to interact
within her society as an integrated member
rather than as an appendage of either her
husband or her father
Figure 9-13 NOVIOS PLAUTIOS, Ficoroni Cista, from Palestrina, Italy, late fourth
century BCE. Bronze, 2’ 6” high. Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome.
GENDER IN ART
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