1. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.

2. What do we know about Ancient
Rome?

3. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Empire stretched from
England to Egypt;
Spain to Russia.
Ruled by an emperor
! Roman culture was a
mixture of older
cultures (primarily
Greek). Romans
spread this cultural
mix to the places they
conquered

4. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Art was heavily influenced
by Greek art
! Roman art is less religious
and less idealized than
Greek Art.
! It was more
commemorative (made to
memorialize)

5. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Purpose of Roman Art:
! Celebrate and show off the
power and might of the
emperor and empire
! Create a record of Roman
history

6. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! What kinds or types of art would
you create if you wanted to show
your power as an emperor and the
might of your empire?
! What might that art look like?
! Where would you want to place
that art?

7. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! SCULPTURE: Realistic
depictions of Roman
leaders. Influenced by
wax death masks used
for memorializing the
deceased
! Designed to be seen in
public places all over the
empire

8. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. 400 A.C.E.
! How does this
sculpture show
the power of the
emperor?
! Why would you
want to spread
sculptures of the
emperor around
the empire?

9. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! A popular way to show
the emperor’s might
AND his image: coins
! Spread around the
empire
! New coins made every
time a new emperor
was appointed

10. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.

11. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Roman sculpture is less
idealized than Greek
sculpture (not as
obsessed with perfect
beauty)
! Showed the true looks
of their subject–
including their
imperfections

12. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
Higher Level Thinking:
Why would Roman artists want to create
super-realistic images of their leaders?
(hint: think back to one of the purposes of
Roman art – creating their history visually)
What effect would these super realistic
sculptures have on Roman citizens in far
reaches of the Empire?

13. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to
400 A.C.E.
! Work to Know:
Marcus Aurelius,
160-180 B.C , bronze

14. Which is Greek? Which is
Roman? WHY?

15. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Roman relief sculptures:
shallow, 3 dimensional carvings
on flat surfaces (like a coin)
! Showed off the skill of the
artists with many intricate
carvings and figures
! Most reliefs are on architectural
works and have subject matters
of battles or hunts

16. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Work to Know: Trajan’s
Column, Rome
113 A.D. , Marble
Made to commemorate Trajan’s
battle victories. Height of the
column and relief sculptures
symbolize the ‘height of success
and accomplishment’ of the
emperor Trajan

17. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Work to Know: Trajan’s
Column, Rome
113 A.D. , Marble

18. Roman Architecture
! What art history period had the biggest
influence on Roman architecture?
! (hint: think about what culture was the
biggest influence on Roman artwork!)

19. What parts of this building show
Greek architectural influences?

20. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! ARCHITECTURE:
! Massive public buildings like courts, stadiums, palaces to
proclaim the power and riches of the Roman Empire
! Other types of architecture: baths, aqueducts, bridges
! Spread these buildings and their architectural style
through the empire

21. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! What would be the
purpose of building
massive public
buildings around the
Empire?

22. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Romans incorporated Greek pediments and columns
into their architecture
! Also popularized the use of the arch, dome and
vault
! These three architectural features were made possible
through the Roman invention of concrete

23. Arch
! Structure that
spans a wide
space that is
open
underneath
! Used for
bridges,
aqueducts and
triumphal
arches

24. Arch – bridge arch

25. Arch – aqueduct arch

26. Arch – triumphal arch

27. Vault
! Series of arches
used to create an
open space with a
rounded ceiling
! Used for hallways,
sewers and
tunnels

28. Vault

29. Dome.
! Architectural
element that
resembles
the hollow
upper half of
a sphere
! Used for
massive
public
buildings

30. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
.
! Work to Know: The Colosseum, Rome, 70 B.C.,
concrete

31. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
.
! Work to Know: The Coliseum, Rome, concrete, 70 B.C.

32. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
.
! Work to Know: The Colosseum,
Rome, 70 B.C., concrete
! Amphitheatre used for
gladiatorial battles, mock sea
battles, executions, plays
! Constructed with multiple
series of arches and vaults
! Hidden series of networks and
tunnels underneath the floor
to hold animals and gladiators

33. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Work to
Know:
Pantheon,
Rome,
granite,
Rome,
126 A.D.

34. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.
! Work to Know:
Pantheon, Rome,
granite, 126
A.D.
! Temple to all
the Roman
gods
! Huge Corinthian
columns supporting
a pediment

35. Art of Roman
Empire
! Domed central area
behind the
columns and
pediments
! World’s largest free
standing dome
! Oculus (skylight)
functions as a
heating, cooling
and lighting system

36. Art of Roman Empire
200 B.C.E. to 400 A.C.E.

37. Discussion:
! If you were a Roman emperor conquering a
new territory what are some concerns you
would have about your new lands and the
people inhabiting it?

38. Discussion:
! What are some ways you could help prevent
uprisings in your new territories?
! What are some ways you could use art or
architecture to spread Roman culture to
those you’ve conquered?

39. Hands On: Roman Art – Design a
Roman City
! Your Task:
! Create a scaled city plan,
for a Roman city
! Create a drawing in 2
point perspective of a
portion of your Roman
city

40. Hands On: Roman Art –
Scaled City Plan
! Skills Learned:
• Using a ruler
• Measuring skills
• Drawing to scale
! Concepts Learned:
• Thinking about the purpose of Roman Art while you
work
• Putting yourself into the mindset of the Ancient
Romans

41. Scaled City Plan Requirements
! Rubric
! City Requirements in Binder

42. Before You Begin
! Start by adding the scale of the city onto the
graph paper: ¼”: 10’
! Draw lightly!!! If you have a clean enough first
version you won’t need to do a final copy
! Use your ruler or a compass/tracer for
EVERYTHING!!!

43. Drafting Tip
! Tip* - Draw your objects first with dots for
where they start and end before committing to
drawing them in with your ruler or stencils

44. Let’s Start Together
! #1 – Cardo and Decumanus
CARDO
DECUMANUS

45. Let’s Start Together
! Red Area around the intersection of roads
will be your Forum area
CARDO
DECUMANUS

46. Work Your Way through the rest
of the Roman City Directions