Our course offered many new time periods and cultures to learn about. The Etruscan and Roman Art time period were the most interesting periods to learn about. I enjoyed studying about the two different rulers of those times. For this specific week that we studied the Romans we considered the bust of Commodus as Hercules (c. 191-92 CE) and the portrait of Caracalla (c. 217-230). I always enjoy learning about rulers and what their life was like. This particular option had us looking at both these rulers’ lives and depicting what characteristics were incorporated into their busts. These specific sculptures were only a small part of Roman art that I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the abstraction of this time period. There were a variety of sculptures that came from the Roman period that depict great detail.
I was more intrigued by the historical context of these pieces. Generally it’s the historical aspect of most art pieces that draw me into their beauty. You can’t fully appreciate a piece unless you know the story behind it. Whether that’s the story of the featured person’s life or the context of why a structure was created. The symbolism of the art pieces is better portrayed through their history. Although the history is interesting for many pieces our interpretation and analysis of the visual details is always stunning.
I was also intrigued by the function of the structures in roman times. The Roman Arch was one of the well-known structures. Using the golden rectangle through out the structure was the most interesting aspect of the arch. Although the Etruscan and Roman’s were not the ones to invent the round arch they were the first to use the form in their structures efficiently. An example of this is the Pont Du Gard in Nimes, France. Also the Flavian amphitheater emphasized the arch structure in their finished product. This particular structure functioned as one of the many facilities for sporting events.
The Etruscan and Roman period was a time of violent emperors and facilities that held violent sports. It’s this historical background that drew me into the period. The sacrifices to gods and the stories of rulers who were slightly unorthodox in their methods that were the muse of many artists to create the pieces that we see today.
I also found studying the different time periods to be my favorite. It is fun to learn of different rulers and their impact on their cultures art. For example, the marbles were impacted by a ruler who found himself in debt and sold them which has left a lasting impact on many art historians. I also found it interesting as you said the unorthodox methods of the periods, it is things you would not hear of happening now and to learn that people actually took part in things like games with human sacrifices as the outcome.
ReplyDeleteGood post! Have a great break!
Etruscan and Roman art are awesome! I can see what you are saying about how you can better (even fully) appreciate a work of art when you know the history behind it. I think that is a really valid opinion.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed working with you and your classmates this quarter! I hope you enjoyed the course.
-Prof. Bowen
I also enjoy learning about rulers about Commodus and Caracalla. Through the busts, we could see the rulers’ life and characteristics. And I totally agree with your idea that we can’t fully appreciate a piece unless we know the story behind it. We could feel the beauty from visually but when we know about the story in it, only then we truly know about that piece.
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