1. The Art of
Ancient Rome

2. Roman Republic of Italy formed in 509 BCE
Romans expanded through continuous warfare / Powerful
government. Romans conquered and took over a large
area around the Mediterranean Sea.
Romans inspired by the Greeks (Gods, Greek art, etc.)
Roman government undertook big building projects to
make city life more comfortable and attractive (roads,
bridges, stadiums, theaters, etc.)

3. Roman Empire

4. Augustus
of Primaporta
Sculpture (Marble)
1st
Century CE
2 m Tall

5. Augustus
of Primaporta
Portrait sculpture of Emperor
Augustus
Augustus leads the way
Combines Greek idealism and
Roman individualism
Propaganda for the Empirical
Roman Government
Cupid at the base of the sculpture –
Augustus ancestor of the gods

6. Constantine
the Great

7. Constantine the Great
Constantine the Great,
Marble Sculpture,
height of head 2.6 Meters,
325-326 CE
Portrait head of Roman ruler
Fragment from a giant statue of the
seated emperor
Constantine reigned 324 CE – 337 CE
Constantine made the port city of
Byzantium the new capital of Roman
Empire and renamed it Constantinople
after himself (modern Istanbul, Turkey)
Constantine used his portrait to spread
imperial propaganda

8. Antinous
Sculpture (Marble)
130 – 38 CE
2.41 m tall

9. Antinous
Emperor Hadrian’s lover who
died in the Nile River
Realistic portrait of Antinous
Combination of Greek,
Roman, and Egyptian Styles

10. Comparison
Greek Sculpture Roman Sculpture

11. She-Wolf
Sculpture (Bronze)
500 BCE
85 cm Tall

12. She-Wolf
Story of Twin Brothers
Romulus and Remus who
were raised by a she-wolf
- founded city of Rome
She-Wolf made in 500
BCE, but Romulus and
Remus sculptures added
later in 1400’s CE
Awkward proportions

13. Colosseum
Architecture
70 – 80 CE

14. Colosseum
Name Colosseum derived
from a statue called the
Colossus, which stood next to
the building
Giant Entertainment Center
(athletic events, Greek plays,
gladiator and animal fights)
Could seat up to 70,000 people
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
Columns
Giant cloth roof which
protected people from the sun

15. Reconstruction Drawing
of the Colosseum

16. Arch of Constantine

17. Arch of Constantine
Arch of Constantine, Rome,
312-315 CE
Tripled-arched Monument
to Emperor Constantine's
Victory over Maxentius in
312 CE
Memorial located next to
the Colosseum
Used recycled sculpture –
panels on top story, statues
of prisoners, giant roundels
from other monuments

18. Pantheon, Rome

19. Pantheon, Rome
Pantheon - “all the Gods”
Built as a temple to the
Olympian Gods
The entrance with 8
columns and a portico is
typical of Roman
architecture (based on
Greek style)
Shape of building in back
concealed (circular room –
rotunda – is a surprise to
visitors)
Pantheon, Rome, 118-128 CE

21. Rotunda
(circular room)
143 feet in
diameter and
143 feet from
floor to summit

22. Cityscape
Painting (Wall Painting)
1st
Century CE

23. Cityscape Cityscape – image of buildings
Wall Painting from a House near
Pompeii, Italy
Romans decorated their houses
and buildings with painted walls,
decorative tiles (mosaics)
Intuitive Perspective – buildings
shown in smaller size in the
background to show space / different
angles of building
Painted Corinthian Column

24. Bedroom,
House of Publius Fannius Synistor
Architecture (Interior)
1st
Century CE

25. The Unswept Floor (Mosaic)

26. The Unswept Floor
Heraklitos, The Unswept Floor,
mosaic, 2nd
Century CE
Mosaic on the floor (also used
in fountains) – created with
colored stones, marble, and
sometimes pottery
Trompe L'oeil (“fool the eye”)
style based on realism
Looks like floor littered with
trash after a meal (bones,
fruits, nuts) and a mouse
eating the scraps
Based on a Greek painting