Late Roman Art
I.
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LATE ROMAN EMPIRE
A. Introduction
1. A long period of decline – 192 – 476 CE. Slow
transition from pagan society to Christian society.
2. Multiple causation
a. Political problems
i. Problems of succession
ii. Weak rulers
iii. Revolving door rulers – In a 50 year
period (218-268 CE), Rome had 50
emperors. Of this total, 17 were
murdered!
b. Barbarian Pressure
i. Ostrogoths
ii. Visigoths
iii. Vandals
c. Economic Problems
i. Trade deficit
ii. Inflation
d. Rise of Christianity
B. Examples of Art and Architecture
1. Portrait Bust of Caracalla (at the MET!)
a. Part of the Severan dynasty
b. Short cropped hair and stubbly beard to make
him look more like a soldier-emperor
c. An aggressive and suspicious facial expression
d. Why? Have you ever heard of the expression
“live by the sword, die by the sword.” When he
became emperor, he had his brother Geta killed
and his memory damned by the Roman Senate.
e. Caracalla also had his wife killed.
f. Followed his father’s dying advice: Enrich your
soldiers, disregard everyone else.
g. Assassinated during a military campaign in the
sixth year of his reign.
2.
Painted portrait of Septimius Severus and his family,
from Egypt, ca. 200 CE.
a. Geta’s face covered over on family portrait.
b. Emperor’s hair is tinged with gray.
3. Chariot procession of Septimius Severus, relief from the
Arch of Septimius Severus, ca. 203 CE
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a. See how the convention of putting subjects
farther from the viewer on a higher ground
plane has become standard in the official art of
Rome. Big influence on early Christian art.
4. Baths of Caracalla
a. Bathing in Rome’s public bath houses was a
major social activity
b. The Baths of Caracalla was the largest bath
complex in the Roman Empire – 50 acres
c. Located in Rome
d. Included a frigidarium (cold-water bath),
tepidarium (warm-water bath), and caldarium
(hot-water bath).
e. The frigidarium, which was in the center of the
baths, had a dome as tall as the Pantheon’s and
its drum was taller. So large that in recent years
it was used to hold hundreds of spectators
during Italian operas.
f. Walls made of brick-faced concrete
g. Light came in from windows thanks to
FENESTRATED GROIN VAULTS
h. More than just baths – landscaped gardens,
lecture halls, libraries, palaestras (exercise
courts), and a natatio (swimming pool). One
palaestra had a copy of Lysippos’ Weary
Herakles!
i. Beautifully decorated with stucco walls, mosaic
floors, and copies of colossal statues.
j. Estimated to hold 1,600 bathers at once.
5. “Soldier – Emperors”: 235 – 284 CE
a. Period of about 50 years, middle of 4th C. CE,
when generals claimed emperor’s throne only to
be murdered within a few months of years and
replaced by another general.
i. Only construction that happened was a
defensive wall around Rome, which
signifies that Rome’s power was waning.
b. Portrait bust of Trajan Decius
i. Notice the realistic appearance of his face
– An old man with bags under his eyes
and a sad facial expression
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ii. A nervous expression – shows the
precarious situation of Roman emperors
during this period
iii. Reigned only 2 years and is best known
for persecuting Christians
c. Heroic portrait of Trebonianus Gallus (at the
MET!)
i. Successor of Trajan Decius
ii. A realistic portrait of his head but an
exaggerated disproportionate body
iii. Notice the short-hair and stubble beard
made popular by Caracalla
iv. Body of a powerful wrestler – massive
upper body and strong legs – conveys that
he is a mighty ruler
v. Shoes resemble not the shoes of a Roman
statesman but the shoes of a boxer
working out at the palaestra
vi. Trebonianus Gallus also reigned only 2
years.
vii. Greek ideal of keen mind in an
harmoniously proportioned body is
replaced by brute force and topped by an
anxious looking head.
C. Anti-Classical Art Trends
i. In 3rd C. CE inhumation became more popular, even imperial
family was getting buried not cremated.
ii. Ludovisi Battle Sarcophogus, Battle of Romans and barbarians,
Rome, 250 – 260 CE, marble
1. Purchased by Cardinal Ludovisi; don’t know who it is a
sarcophagus for.
2. Chaotic battle scene, no sense of ground, no illusion of
space.
3. Central figure, on horseback, unarmed---above the
fray?--- exhorting the troops? --- fearless commander
who feels assured of victory? His forehead has a mark
of Mithras, Persian god of light, truth, and victory.
Indicates huge inroads of foreign (eastern) religion and
culture into Roman psyche.
iii. Sarcophagus of a philosopher, 270 – 280 CE, marble
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1. Insecurity of times lead Romans to seek solace in
philosophy as well as exotic, oriental religions.
Deceased sometimes masqueraded as philosophers.
2. This tripartite (three part) composition was often used
in Christian burials with Christ in the center position
flanked by his apostles.
iv. Temple of Venus, Baalbek (Lebabon).
1. Indicates lowering regard for Greek classical influence
by flouting rules: Archuated entrance without
pediment; 5 sided columns; scalloped platform and
entablature. Baroque ornamentation would be
important for 17th C. Italian renaissance architecture.
D. Diocletian to the Rescue (284 – 306 CE)
1. Solutions
a. Doubles the size of the Roman army
b. Wage and price controls
c. Persecution of the Christians
d. Creates the Tetrarchy – rule by four emperors to
resolve the problems of succession and
assassinations
i. Two Augusti – one for the west and one
for the east
ii. Two Caesars – younger rulers, one for the
west and one for the east
2. Portraits of the four tetrarchs
a. Four tetrarchs were often portrayed together on
coins and in sculpture in the round
b. Famous portraits of tetrarchs in Venice (today
they are on the corner of Saint Mark’s
Cathedral)
c. Notice that all four rulers have the same
appearance
i. Short, squat bodies with cubical heads
like relief of decursio on the pedestal of
the column of Antonius Pius.
ii. Cuirass and capes look the same
iii. Embracing each other in a forced
expression of unity
iv. One hand on their swords
v. The only difference – two of the figures
have beards (probably represent the older
Augusti) and two do not.
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vi. FULL ARC --- 8 CENTURIES AFTER
GREEKS FREED THE HUMAN FORM
FROM THE RIGID FRONTALITY OF
EGYPTIAN-INSPIRED KOUROS
STANCE, THE HUMAN FIGURE IS
AGAIN CONCEIVED OF IN ICONIC
TERMS. IDEALISM, NATURALISM,
INDIVIDUALITY, AND
PERSONALITY BELONG TO THE
PAST.
d. The Tetrarchy did not last – Diocletian
(Augustus of the East) decided to retire, which
lead to a civil war in the west
i. Diocletian returned to his homeland of
Dalmatia (present-day Yugoslavia)
ii. Built a fortress-palace at Split that was 10
acres.
iii. Laid out like a Roman CASTRUM
(temporary city built by Roman soldiers
during a military campaign)
iv. Had large walls with watchtowers to give
Diocletian a sense of security
v. Huge mausoleum was a type that was
popular for Byzantine churches.
E. Constantine (312 – 337 CE)
1. Background
a. His father was the Caesar of the West
b. When his father died, he became Caesar of the
West and attacked Rome, where the Augustus of
the West – Maxentius – held power
c. He defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the
Milvian Bridge. Maxentius was killed during the
battle.
d. Before the battle, Constantine saw a sign of a
cross of light in the heavens that said ‘in this sign
you shall conquer.’ He claimed that the
Christian God helped him win.
e. Constantine and the Caesar of the East –
Licinius signed the Edict of Milan (313 CE),
legalizing Christianity.
f. 325 CE, Council of Nicaea, Christianity became
official religion of Roman Empire.
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g. Constantine defeated the army of Licinius in the
east and had him executed. Constantine became
the only emperor of the Roman Empire.
h. Moved the capital of the empire from Rome to
Byzantium and renamed the city Constantinople.
He made this move “by order of God.”
i. By the early 330’s, Christianity became the de
facto religion of the Roman Empire and
paganism declined.
j. Deathbed conversion to Christianity in 337 CE.
k. By the end of Constantine’s reign, the medieval
world had begun.
F. Art Associated with Constantine
1. Arch of Constantine
a. 82 feet tall with three arcuated passages
b. Largest arch in Rome
c. Borrowed art – Many of its friezes, statues, and
medallions were taken from other arches
including Arches of Trajan, Hadrian, and
Marcus Aurelius – Good Emperors
d. Scenes show Constantine handing out largess to
the people, riding on a horse, defeating his
enemies, being crowned with laurel by winged
victories.
2. Colossal portrait of Constantine
a. Immense image of authority
b. The entire statue was estimated to be about 30
feet tall. The head alone is 8 ½ feet high. Other
fragments survive.
c. Revived the Augustan image of an eternally
youthful head of state – he is shown clean
shaven, whereas earlier images show him with a
beard
d. He is idealized – appears muscular and without
physical imperfections
e. Colossal size, the likening of the emperor to
Jupiter
f. His eyes are oversized and look off into the
distance – He is ever vigilant over his empire
g. His right hand was lifted with his index finger
point upwards and his left hand held an orb
(Earth) possibly surmounted by a cross.
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3. Basilica Nova (aka Basilica of Maxentius and
Constantine)
a. Begun when Maxentius had control of the city
and finished by Constantine
b. BASILICA – a large rectangular building that
functioned as a city hall with government offices
and courtrooms.
c. Statue of Constantine stood in the APSE (semicircular niche at the end of the basilica) to
impress visitors of the basilica and remind them
of his authority.
d. Originally 300 feet long and 215 feet wide with
brick-faced concrete walls
e. Side halls have coffered barrel vaults
f. Ceiling had fenestrated groin vaults to provide
lighting
4. Aula Palatina (Audience Hall), Trier, early 4th C. CE
a. Overall basilica structure later converted to
Christian church.
b. Large windows due to development of increasing
use of lead-framed panes of window glass.
c. Interior, simple. Flat wooden coffered ceiling
with ample light.
5. Constantine coins: Shows Constantine as Christian
ruler over the world.