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Clay Chastain
ARTH 1307
Dr. Yoon
29 April 2008
Roman Verism in Portrait Sculpture
INTRODUCTION TO VERISM
Many artworks from a variety of time periods have depicted verism, or vivid
realism. While much of this work came in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the
term originally applied to Roman sculpture in the early first century A.C.E.. With this, it
could be said that Roman portrait sculpture created the long-standing norm of verism,
which was, in contrast to Greek art. This style, it could be said, is a distinct response to
the norms established by Greek art, such as the epic or heroic figures commonly used as
ideal subjects in sculptures. Roman culture reached a pinnacle where realism was the
focus of society and portraiture changed to reflect the actual subjects instead of idealized
forms; the portraits were free to showcase actual life as individuality was a strong focus
of the popular culture during this time period. Works such as The Head of a Roman
Patrician from Otricoli (Gardner fig. 7-7) emphasize the split between the Roman sense
of verism and the common classical style of other Roman works such as The Portrait
Bust of Livia (Gardner fig. 7-26) or earlier sculpture such as The Head of Alexander the
Great from Pella (Gardner fig. 5-67). In particular, The Head of a Roman Patrician
serves as a common staple to all of the features that illustrate verism as a cultural
movement as it highlights the individual properties of a person, creating a distinct
separation between styles of portrait sculpture.
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UNDERSTANDING VERISM AND ITS ORIGINS
Verism can best be explained as a style of art that emphasized “. . . a somewhat dry
realism, a realism which shows the person portrayed as he really is, without idealizing
tendencies, with wrinkles and warts and other physical defects . . .” (Richter 39). In this
sense, the art showed a strong sense of individualizing a portrait, whereas works during
the Greek art period tended to focus on flawless features and ideal proportions, as
evidenced from The Head of Alexander the Great from Pella (Gardner fg. 5-67). It
should be noted that verism “. . . has an expression not of a philosopher or poet or
visionary, but what may be called a man of affairs” (Richter 39). Verism was essentially
a means of political expression; the “man of affairs” was, in a sense, the Roman version
of a statesman who was prominent in society. Literally, the veristic movement was
considered to be the true “birth of individualistic representation in Greek art” (Richter
39). As a movement, verism drew upon the need to draw attention to the reality of a
person, to highlight one’s age and personality as a factor of their prominence. No longer
were representations of politicians and statesmen confined to stereotypical ideals, but
they were truly representations of the individual person no matter what age or defects he
or she might have.
Despite this, critics of Roman verism such as Elizabeth Bartman, feel that verism
still idealized common human body conceptions. She states that “. . . so-called Roman
verism was to some extent idealizing in that it utilized stock iconographic elements [but,
she concedes that] modern observers may exaggerate the statue’s stylistic clash” (311).
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Because of this, the true individualism of some veristic portrait sculptures could, in
theory, be put into question on some degree.
All this said, verism had its origins long before Greek and Roman art was
developed. The influences of Egyptian art, especially those of the late period of Egyptian
society, could be considered a direct origin of Roman verism (Richter 40). While much
debated among scholars, Egyptian art can be considered one of the more influential
sources of this style, as opposed to the existing notions of Italic, Etruscan, Roman, or
Greek creation (Richter 41). Richter believes that “. . . Egyptian portraiture, that is, the
individualism of a specific person, was [practiced] much earlier much earlier and for a
much longer period than elsewhere” (41). He argues that the veristic portraiture came
highly into play in the Armana period of Egyptian art, a period which focused on the
individualization of key leaders of the society during that time, such as Akhenaton. In
this period, the Armana style was used to emphasize the difference and individualism of
the ruler from the strict tradition of Egyptian society (43). He goes on to say that “the
Romans, with their taste for realism, liked . . . Egyptian portraits and demanded similar
veristic portraits themselves” (43). So in this sense, the foundation for verism could have
been built upon the desire for realism as a means of differentiation, a process which was
emulated and later altered into the typical veristic portrait sculpture that we know today.
Yet another contrasting theory involves the Greek artist’s portrayal of the Roman
foreigner which it often represented in these veristic means as a method of separating
their own culture from another. In fact, R. R. R. Smith argues that Greek artists “. . .
used different ways of portraying themselves and of portraying different sorts of
foreigners, stemming from different attitudes to [Roman patrons]” (34-35). He feels that
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Greek artists often exploited Roman patrons, insisting that the end effect of hyper-realism
was often “to near comic effect” (35). Following this theory, verism’s origins in Roman
society were gradual appropriations of Greek artist’s views towards Roman characters, a
phenomenon which became ingrained into Roman culture as a symbol of identity later
on.
VERISM AS A MEANS OF CULTURAL IDENTITY IN ROMAN SOCIETY
While verism is obviously a style of art with focus on the ultra-real depiction of a
subject, it is also a strong underlying representative factor of a cultural movement within
Roman society. During this time period, Roman culture was highly influenced by
political behavior and support. Verism, especially in funerary sculpture, represented “a
didactic moral example to the young and a spur to civic glory” (Jackson 34). Because of
the focus of political identity in Roman society, individualized civic ability was a key
influence upon members of this community. In fact, verism as a means of expression
“held some priority or desirability” (34) to the people who wanted to be displayed as
icons of themselves. So, it would seem that not only was the form popularized by the
Roman focus on politics, but it also became culturally significant to use this form of
representation as a means of identity within civic realm.
In particular, Roman death masks were used as methods to remember the living
for their accomplishments with a degree of accuracy. Even though the mask was meant
to showcase living people, the basic form was often molded from the dead (Jackson 3436). In this way, verism represents distinct features of Roman style of art, and in turn, the
culture. It became custom for “. . . the patron [to request] works reflecting stern,
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patriarchal, and straight-forward qualities of the sitter” (43). Again, in a sense, the
patriarchal focus of the society was intertwined with the complex social and political
climate of the culture in which verism emerged.
DESCRIPTION & COMPARISON OF VERISM VERUS CLASSICAL SCUPLTURE
As a case study, The Head of a Roman Patrician from Orticoli (Gardener fig. 7-7)
represents a typical, if not ideal, example of verism. Most notably, the subject of the
piece is a political figure who is very aged. Already, the piece departs from the
established norms of artwork such as other Roman works like The Portrait Bust of Livia
(Gardner fig. 7-26) or earlier sculpture forms like The Head of Alexander the Great from
Pella (Gardner fig. 5-67). In these works, idealism is focused on being the perfect human
form, one which uses young and vibrant portraits that represent little physical defect.
Yet, there is more than the initial subject that sets each piece distinct. Factors
such as the overall style of the veristic artwork become immediately obvious in
comparison to ideal forms; The Head of a Roman Patrician from Orticoli (Gardner fig. 77) reflects an ideal that is culturally perceived instead of physically perceived. In other
words, the aged figure of the patrician is just as heroic as Alexander the Great because of
his political and social power, not just his physical power and beauty. It is with the
patrician’s skill and age that he rose to such a prominence, not simply through his ideal
god-like form. Instead, the focus is on the individual person who is distinctly aged and
wrinkled that shows the culmination of his life’s efforts. In portrait sculpture such as The
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Bust of Livia (Gardner fig. 7-26) it is apparent that physical beauty and physical power
are showcased above the political and social strength of a character.
Further, verism produces a style of realism that is hyper real, a form that is often
based off of the dead that became culturally engrained as a strong expression and
physical structure (Jackson 43). In this sense, The Head of a Roman Patrician, is an
example of this strong facial composition, a cultural norm for society to ask for these
vivid, yet rigid, depictions of a person. Cultural practices led to the eventual preference
of these types of features over the more classical approaches during this time. Yet, as
evidenced from The Bust of Livia (Gardner fig. 7-26), classical styles made a certain
resurgence as “an admiration for earlier phases of Greek art came into fashion in the
West, and verism was toned down at the higher social levels by a revival of midHellenistic pathos” (Western Sculpture). Because of this, the ideal forms of The Bust of
Livia and The Head of Alexander the Great from Pella represent a cross-section between
verism. Both of these examples show the fondness of the highly classical elements of
these portraits. They are sculptures which, in contrast to verism, use strict ideals that do
not capture the actual look and personality of a person, but rather attempt to show the
grandness and perfection of their person for generations to come.
IMPACT OF VERISM ON AN AUDIENCE
As an audience, verism serves to represent different ideals from that of idealistic
portraits. It is a method of conveying realism to an audience which is unabashed. As a
viewer, it is likely that while many of the features could be deemed as grotesque, they
reinforce the sheer humanity of these political and higher order citizens. Again, the focus
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is not on physical beauty; rather, the idea behind verism is to portray realism in such a
sense that it is the emotional connection that the character has to an audience is
remembered. Aspects such as age and physical imperfection are seen as literal truths, a
feature which strongly enhances the connection an average person may have with a
symbol of power. In many ways, it was a way of testifying the ability for any Roman to
understand the concept that all Romans are alike in some sense. By humanizing these
features, Roman citizens could possibly relate more to the civic leaders and in turn
support them more.
SUMMATION OF VERISM IN ROMAN SOCIETY
Instead of the use of ideal body forms, the use of ideal political activity was put
more into play. These men had strong political power and were assumedly proud of their
past. The subjects in these works were given a form of identity that represented each
person on an individual basis, highlighting unique features of prominent members of
society. Artworks such as The Head of a Roman Patrician from Orticoli (Gardner fig. 77) held strictly to this premise in its execution. Regardless of the origins of verism, the
meaning of verism in Roman culture was decidedly oriented to support the changing
landscape of Roman cultural practices. As the public deemed it acceptable to humanize
the features of a civic role model, the evolution of the strong-faced hyper-realistic portrait
sculpture was integrated heavily into Roman art and society.
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Works Cited
Bartman, Elizabeth. "The Roman Nude: Heroic Portrait Statuary 200 B.C. - A.D. 300
(Review)." Classical World 100.3 (2007): 310-2.
Head of Alexander the Great, The. Fig. 5-67. Pella, Greece. Ca. 200-150 B.C.E.
Archaeological Museum, Pella. Gardner’s Art through the Ages. 12th Edition.
Fred S. Kleiner and Christin J. Mamiya, Eds. Ft. US: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.
Head of a Roman Patrician, The. Fig. 7-7. Otricoli, Italy. Ca. 75-50 B.C.E. Museo
Torlonia, Rome. Gardner’s Art through the Ages. 12th Edition. Fred S. Kleiner
and Christin J. Mamiya, Eds. Ft. US: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.
Jackson, David. "Verism and the Ancestral Portrait." Greece & Rome 34.1 (1987): 32-47.
Portrait Bust of Livia, The. Fig. 7-26. Faiyum, Egypt. Early First Century C.E. Ny
Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. Gardner’s Art through the Ages. 12th Edition.
Fred S. Kleiner and Christin J. Mamiya, Eds. Ft. US: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.
Richter, Gisela M. A. "The Origin of Verism in Roman Portraits." The Journal of Roman
Studies 45., Parts 1 and 2 (1955): 39-46.
Smith, R. R. R. "Greeks, Foreigners, and Roman Republican Portraits." The Journal of
Roman Studies 71 (1981): 24-38.
"Western sculpture." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
22 Apr. 2008. <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-30353>.