Roman Painting and Early Roman Christian

PompeiiIn 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted covering the high-class coastal towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The volcano emitted gases that poisoned the air at the same time spewing millions of tons of heavy, wet, concrete-like ash over the town. People were killed and suffocated within hours. But due to this unique phenomenon, it preserved some of the best art that we have from the Roman time period. In particular, Roman frescoes have been preserved so this is a source of many of the ones we will study.

Villa of Mysteries

Young Woman WritingThis kind of painting is much more realistic than anything we’ve seen so far (Prehistoric, Egypt, Greece, Aegean, etc.)

Softly modeled features. Quite realistic, but still graceful and beautiful.

Roman Paint Styles

1. Incrustation: Rectangular slabs of Color.

2. Architectural Style: Paint architecture. Illusion of space. Perspective.

3. Ornate style- white walls with framed smaller frescoes.

4. Intricate style: All Styles together.

Incrustation Archiectural

Ornate Style

Intricate Style

Mosaics

MosaicsMosaics were another highly-developed 2D art form in Ancient Rome. They would copy painting styles and could even use different colored stones to do shading and show depth.

They were flat and polished. Usually the tesserae (stones in the mosaic) were marble from local quarries. As a result, most of the colors are whites, grays, blacks, and browns. Natural, flat, opaque colors.

Battle of Issus

Early Roman Christian

Roman Religions Christianity:

1. Period of Persecution: 34 A.d.- 313 A.D.

2. Period of Recognition: Edict of Milan 313 A.D. t today.

Islam

3.Islam spreads

Art of the Catacombs

Naturalism to SymbolismThe Christians were a very strange group of people to the Romans. Their emphasis was not on this earth (upon which they were relentlessly persecuted), but upon the afterlife, heaven and hell. Some Christians would sing and praise god in the very hour of their death, for their hope was on a better world in the hereafter.

This is reflected in their art. The forms are stylized, abstracted, and simplified. The purpose is not to represent the body accurately or beautifully, but symbolically. Features, clothing are simplified.

Old St. Peter’s Basilica