The history of ancient Rome can be traced back to the 8th to 7th centuries BC.

Before the 5th century BC, ancient Rome was in the primitive tribal stage. 509 BC to 30 BC was the Roman Republic period, and 27 BC to 476 BC was the Roman Empire period.

In the Imperial Age, ancient Rome became a large empire spanning three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe.

In the 1st century AD, Greece was also annexed by Rome. From then on, Rome became the center of world culture.

Ancient Rome was the conqueror of the ancient Greek land, but became the conquered of ancient Greek culture.

The outstanding contribution of ancient Roman sculpture art to Western civilization lies in its inheritance and development of the ancient Greek sculpture art tradition. Ancient Roman sculpture art inherited the fine traditions of ancient Greece. It also incorporates local Etruscan sculpture art and bronze and stone carving techniques, playing a role in connecting the past and the future between ancient Greece and the Middle Ages.

Sculpture art had a very high status in the social life of ancient Rome, and the number of sculptures is still unimaginable today.

The Romans made great achievements in portrait sculpture.

On the one hand, the Romans worshiped their ancestors. They began to use plaster or wax to take molds from dead people’s faces very early, and then painted them into realistic masks and placed them in their homes.

On the other hand, Roman rulers tried their best to show off their personal authority and create a cult of personality.

Portrait sculptures during this period are known for their realistic style.

Sculptors are good at using exaggerated and general artistic techniques to depict characters in detail, leaving out tedious things and enhancing the sense of movement, so that their works leave a deep impression on the audience.

Emotional portraits became popular in the second half of the 2nd century AD.

This type of portrait more fully expresses the inner feelings and psychological state of the characters, and the expression techniques are much richer than in the past.

For example, in order to show the changes in light and darkness of the eyeballs, the sculptor carved circles of varying depths on the eyeballs.

The statue of the Roman Emperor Carla was a representative work of that time.

Ancient Roman sculpture followed the tradition of ancient Greek sculpture, but was more secular, thus taking a more solid step on the road of realism.

In portrait works, sculptors first pursue the realistic appearance of the model, and secondly focus on the portrayal of the character's personality.

Ancient Roman sculpture is an important part of ancient Western civilization. It has made outstanding contributions to the development of Western realist sculpture.

Ancient Roman art valued the refinement of artistic expressions.

The imperial statues of ancient Rome were both personalized and idealized, making the statues a symbol of Roman heroism and enterprising spirit.

Roman portrait sculptures have made many creations in terms of realistic processing, emotional expression, and exaggerated emphasis on details, and have achieved high achievements.

Roman sculptors emphasized the reproduction of the image to be sculpted, paying special attention to the detailed depiction of the characters' faces.

The spiritual temperament of the Greeks was mainly conveyed through body postures and movements, while Roman portraits were mainly expressed through the head.

The life of Greek statues is filled with all parts of the body. Even if only the broken arms and broken bodies are left, they can still give people a unique sense of life and beauty.

If the head of a Roman statue was missing, the rest would be meaningless.

Roman statues from the Imperial era are full of idealistic tendencies.

"The Statue of Octavian" has a stern facial expression, holds a dictatorial scepter in his left hand, and points forward with his right hand, as if he is commanding thousands of troops. His resolute character is very distinctive.

The face of "Equestrian Portrait of Aurelius" shows introspection and contemplation, with melancholy sadness and philosophical thinking, and is decadent, negative and contemplative.

The "Altar of Peace of Augustus" dedicated to the goddess of peace is a unique and novel creation in Roman art.

The group of relief sculptures on the altar show the majestic scenes of craftsmen building temples and emperors leading crowds to offer sacrifices. They vividly display personalized characters and vivid scenes with rich expressions and different expressions, which technically reflect the Roman style. The sculptures are highly realistic, perfect, and have superb artistic skills, showing a calm atmosphere of praise and reverence, making people seem to feel the prosperity of the empire, peace and prosperity.

True art is immortal.

This book is sorted chronologically by the two major parts of Greece and Rome. By reading them one by one, you can have a comprehensive understanding of the art, historical background and representative masterpieces of the ancient Greek period, and master the characteristics and styles of artistic works in each period. and the evolution of techniques.

With the help of many exquisite color pictures, you can more vividly and directly appreciate the depth and infinite charm of ancient art.

The She-Wolf

Today, the statue of the She-Wolf has become a symbol of the city of Rome.

She-Wolf

"She-Wolf", a bronze sculpture, 85 cm high, was created around 500 BC and is now in the Municipal Museum of Rome, Italy.

From the 8th to the 4th century BC, the Italian peninsula was ruled by the Etruscans, forming what is historically known as the Etruscan culture.

Etrunian culture was later inherited by its conquerors, the Romans, and became the basis of Roman culture.

Among Etrunian art works, the artistic level of sculpture is the most outstanding, and the bronze statue "She-Wolf" is the most famous work.

The statue is based on the legend of the founding of Rome. After the famous Trojan War, the Trojan prince fled to the Italian peninsula and founded the city of Alba, which has been passed down from generation to generation.

Later, a king named Numitor was overthrown by his brother Amulius, and his son was killed, but his daughter was loved by the god of war and gave birth to twins Romulus and Remu. However, Amulius put him in a basket and threw him into the Tiber River.

The brothers were later discovered and taken in by a female wolf. Soon, they were discovered and adopted by a shepherd.

When they grew up, they killed their enemies, rescued their grandfather, and created a new city.

Later Romulus killed Remus and named the city after himself, calling it Rome.

This statue depicts the image of the she-wolf who once nurtured the founder of Rome.

The statue has a rigorous physical structure and is a highly realistic work of art, embodying the theme of a ferocious appearance but a kind heart.

The female wolf has strong limbs and a ferocious expression, full of wild vitality.

The curly hair on the neck, the drooping breasts, the thin abdomen and ribs are all very realistic.

The overall expression of the she-wolf is alert and majestic, which seems to be a symbol of the Roman people's resolute and cold national character.

In the 16th century AD, someone made a statue of two babies under the belly of a wolf, which more fully expressed the legend of the founding of Rome.

This statue is a masterpiece of Etruscan art.

For the Romans, it also had monumental significance, and people worshiped it as the ancestor of the nation.

Bust of Brutus

"Bust of Brutus", a bronze statue, was created around the second half of the 4th century BC.

According to research, ancient Rome was originally just some village tribes along the Tiber River in the Italian Peninsula. The city of Rome was established in about 754 BC.

In 509 BC, Rome abolished the royal government and entered a period of peace, which lasted until 31 BC.

During these 500 years, Rome gradually developed from a small city-state to the overlord of the Mediterranean region.

Due to the raging war, the art of the Roman War Period developed slowly, but it still reflected the calm and realistic character of the Romans and was highly realistic.

Among them, the main achievements of sculpture art are reflected in the portrait sculptures. "Bust of Brutus" is the most important representative work of portrait sculptures at that time.

Although there is still some controversy, many people believe that the statue depicts Brutus, the first administrator of the Roman Empire and the Roman Empire.

The facial expression of this bust is serious and resolute. The deep eyes and tight lips show the confidence and wisdom of the leader.

The production of the avatar is very realistic, with a clear and simple style, which successfully reveals the character's personality and shows the mental outlook of the character during the rise of Roman politics.

The fine processing of the statue also reflects the superb metal casting skills of the Romans.

The eyeballs of the statue are made of ivory and glass, a method commonly used at the time to make the figures appear more real and natural.

Augustus in Military Uniform

Augustus, also known as Octavian, was the founder and first emperor of the Roman Empire.

Augustus in Arms

He ended the civil war that plunged the Roman Republic into chaos during the first century BC, and brought a two-year period of peace to the Greco-Roman world. century of peace and prosperity.

He was Caesar's nephew and later became his adopted son and heir.

Caesar showed his interest in him very early and cultivated him wholeheartedly, paving the way for him to enter politics.

But when Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, Octavian was only an 18-year-old boy.

Caesar's death left a huge power vacuum in Rome, setting off a long, fierce and complex power struggle among many military and political figures.

In an extremely unfavorable situation, Octavian showed strategy, calmness and willpower far beyond his years. After a struggle for power, Octavian and his two powerful rivals - Lepidus He formed a three-headed alliance with Antony and entered the highest ruling power circle in Rome at a young age.

After that, the war between them continued until Octavian solved Lepidus in 32 BC and defeated Antony's alliance with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt at the Battle of Actium the following year. Become the sole ruler of Rome.

Later generations of historians regarded this as the beginning of the Roman Empire.

He was regarded as the head of state (first citizen), and initially ruled as a consul to maintain the government and the political system.

In 27 BC, he received the title "Augustus" and was worshiped as a god after his death.

Under his rule, the Roman Empire stretched from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to Cappadocia in the east, Gaul in the north, and Egypt in the south.

During his reign (31 BC - 14 AD), he devoted himself to the reform of the tax structure, financial system, military system, etc., promoted the construction of public institutions, and established a large number of people throughout the empire. Road network and water supply system.

At this time, Rome was at peace, the economy was prosperous, and literature and art were prosperous.

The age of Augustus was the golden age of Roman literature. The greatest Roman writers, Virgil, Horace and Livy, appeared during this period.

The civil peace he created, the Pax Romana, lasted for about 200 years. During this period of continued peace and prosperity, Roman culture spread throughout the lands conquered by Augustus and other Roman leaders. territory.

The plastic art of the Romans mainly came from the influence of ancient Greek art. However, due to the different political nature, it formed its unique artistic style in architecture, painting and sculpture.

Portrait carving is the main achievement of Roman sculpture. The reason is that the Etruscans emphasized funeral rituals and often made wax molds on the faces of the deceased and stored them in the niches of the Kitchen God.

On every anniversary, they would be taken out and offered as offerings. Later, this method was gradually applied to carvings.

When making a portrait, it is required to accurately express the characteristics of the object, which has become the pursuit goal of sculpture art.

By the time of the Augustus Empire, portrait sculpture had achieved a high degree of development, but Emperor Augustus also wanted to imitate ancient Greece. He liked to idealize the characters, so art history called this This style is called "Augustinian Classicism".

This marble sculpture "Augustus in Military Uniform" unearthed in Prima-Porta is the most representative.

In the statue, Octavian, the "Augustus" of ancient Rome, holds a scepter in his left hand and raises his right hand forward, as if lecturing.

The face has a stern expression, thin lips, and a very distinct personality.

His figure covered with gorgeous armor looks very tall, and the pattern on the armor symbolizes the idea that Rome will rule the world.

Using this symbolic method, the purpose of art has become clear, which is to praise the emperor.

The author of the statue has not been named. It seems that artists in the Roman imperial era did not have such creative rights.

Beside Octavian's right foot, the artist also created an image of a little angel Cupid with wings but no eyes.

Why was this little god of love in Roman mythology shaped here? The lack of eyes symbolizes his blindness to love; another judgment is that he is reckless by nature and needs guidance from knowledgeable people at any time.

He will never grow up, and that’s the meaning.

The explanation of most art historians is that it was to show Augustus's tallness as a contrast, which is also possible in art.

It is said that there are still gold, green, brown, yellow, purple and other color spots on the marble surface of the statue. It is likely that when it was completed, the statue was in brilliant colors.

The statue was made around 19-13 BC and is now collected in the Vatican Museum in Rome.

Portraits of Women

Roman portrait carvings are known for their distinctive character portrayals.

We have already admired a "Statue of Augustus" before, but the most exciting portrait carvings of this period are not the full-length statues, but the half-length ones that the slave-owning nobles placed in the living rooms of their houses. image, bust or avatar, etc.

In the second half of the 1st century AD, portrait sculpture in Rome had achieved a high level of achievement, especially during the reign of Flavius.

The diversity of the portraits and the strict realism have been achieved to a perfection that is almost impeccable.

We also found in the "Statue of Augustus" that the artist followed the legacy of the Greek High Age and focused on the idealization of the image, that is, beautifying it as much as possible.

In terms of portrait sculpture during this period, tradition seems to only favor the techniques of the Hellenistic period.

In terms of character portrayal, the artistic technique of this statue "Portrait of a Woman" is more condensed than before.

The hair style on this woman's head is exaggerated in order to highlight the status, identity and personality of the portrait.

This kind of sculptural language is new to Roman portrait sculpture.

Obviously, the sculptor carefully studied the subtle changes in the marble surface and noticed the visual effects of light and dark light and shadow, so he used the strong concave and convex shapes on the hair curls to contrast the softness and smoothness. A woman's face makes the woman's overall look plumper and more beautiful.

This is a well-known lady in Rome. Her arrogant demeanor is to show her nobility. Her expression is reserved and her heart is cold. Through the twists and turns of her face and neck, we can get an insight into this upper-class aristocrat. A certain self-interest in women’s inner world.

Some archaeologists have identified that the image of this noble lady may be that of Emperor Trajan’s niece, Vilia Matididia.

The sculptor must have taken great pains to find the right idea before shaping it.

After careful consideration, we decided to use the technique of exaggerating local details to make the hairstyle and eyes echo each other, creating a special typical character. This was the creative harvest of the Roman portrait sculptors. Viewers marveled.

In the portrait sculptures of the Flavius ??period, artists paid more attention to the light and dark colors on marble, so there is a term "Flavius ??colorism" in history.

This female head was made between 90 and 100 AD and is about 63 centimeters high. It is now collected in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Relief of the Altar of Peace

Starting from Emperor Augustus, the Roman Empire established a relatively complete ruling order, with fewer internal and external wars, and entered a period of relative stability for nearly 200 years. Historically known as the "Pax Romana".

In order to commemorate the peace that Augustus the Great brought to Rome, the Senate presided over the construction of the "Altar of Peace" and used it to worship the goddess of peace.

This is a square platform built of marble, 11 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 4 meters high. It is surrounded by walls, with door openings in the east and west, and an altar in the center.

The surrounding walls are decorated with two layers of relief works. The upper layer is a group of memorial figures, and the lower layer is a bright and beautiful plant decorative pattern.

The reliefs on the upper level include scenes showing the start of construction of the altar, as well as the imperial rulers headed by Augustus leading all the royal family members in a solemn worship process, and Roman mythological figures symbolizing the peace and prosperity of the empire. of engraving.

Technically, the reliefs embody the highly realistic artistic skills of Roman sculpture, with beautiful compositions and distinct layers.

These reliefs on the "Altar of Peace" overall show a calm atmosphere of praise and reverence, making people feel that the empire is in good weather and the country is peaceful and prosperous.

First, let us understand the structure of the altar itself and the location of the reliefs.

The entire building consists of a large U-shaped altar, which is built on a high stone base and surrounded by outer walls.

There are reliefs on the altar and on the outer walls.

Like all Roman reliefs, they were originally painted in oil.

But the oil paint has long since disappeared, and today only the white marble remains.

The inside of the facade is carved with garlands of leaves, fruits and flowers, which are traditional altar facade images and may reflect the actual use of garlands and cow skulls - which were animal sacrifices. The remnants form a circle around the place of worship.

This fresco from a Roman building of the time helps us understand the colors of the garland.

Above the garland is the paterae, a shallow bowl used to pour wine dedicated to the gods.

The upper part of the altar itself is decorated with small reliefs, both inside and outside, showing religious processions preparing animal sacrifices.

Undoubtedly, it depicts the scene of the annual festival here on the altar.

There are two sets of corresponding reliefs on the exterior of the facade.

The lower portions of the four walls are decorated with sage and grapevines.

In the upper part of the long walls on both sides is another image showing a party attended by all important members of Augustus' group, including the emperor himself and members of his family.

We will further analyze the relevant content later.

On the two short walls, that is, on both sides of the door, we can see 4 reliefs on the door, each of which shows a scene with characters.

The subject matter of the images is not the events at that time. On the east side we can see images about the early history of Rome, and on the west side are two themes related to mythology.

The relief on the west side was once thought to represent Romulus and Remus - they were twin brothers, Rumulus later founded the city of Rome.

They are being suckled by a she-wolf.

This legend is a very common subject in early Roman art and is easily identifiable.

Here is the same image found on early Roman silver coins.

Here we see another marble relief, showing the entire scene of the discovery of the twins by the shepherds, probably also carved around the time the Altar of Peace was built.

The relief on the east exterior wall is the one corresponding to the twins, showing the Roman goddess and the incarnation of the city of Rome.

The goddess's clothes are unique and therefore easily identifiable despite their imperfections.

She is depicted in relief just as she was on this copper coin from the time of Emperor Nero.

The themes on the other two relatively well-preserved reliefs are usually considered to be: on the west side is the Trojan hero Aeneas, offering a sow as a sacrifice to the god, and on the east side is the earth mother goddess offering sacrifices to the gods. Luce, in this way, Aeneas is opposite to Romulus and Remus, and the Earth Mother is opposite to the goddess Rome.

"Relief of the Altar of Peace", a marble relief copy, was created around 13 BC - 9 BC and is now collected in the Roman Museum.

Different from the relief works in the Greek period, the relief works in the Roman era no longer focus on mythological stories. Most of their commemorative relief works directly express the great achievements of the emperors.

This is also directly related to the pragmatic national character of the Romans.

Most of these relief works appear on monumental buildings such as altars, triumphal arches and monumental columns, with unique styles.