Roman Sculpture Representation Analyzed From

¶ … roman sculpture representation analyzed from the visual perspective. This essay will focus on the representation of one emperor of Roman history and the way he was seen and presented in portraits and marble statues. To explain properly the characteristics of this illustration the paper must briefly discuss the general canons of Roman sculpture and art spirituality of the time, to understand the elements used in the representation of the emperor.

The point that will be stated is the difference that can be appreciated in the way Romans represented their emperors, different from the style present in other societies such as the Greek culture. It would de nearly impossible to refer to Roman art without briefly mentioning the Greek influence, because it played a major role in the Roman spirituality and the way their artistic vision developed.

Even if Roman sculpture was highly influenced by Greek standards and styles, it was very different from the Hellenic vision in the subjects approached and the way the represented reality in the characters. The most popular form of sculpture in Rome was the portrait and the funerary stones. The sculpture followed the tradition of representing gods and divine characters, portraying mythological scenes and characters, but they also focused on the realistic representation of emperors and important political figures.

The first thing to consider in the portrait of an emperor is the degree of idolization that the character received.

The Roman portrait has its roots in the Etruscan art and the ancient masks that were applied to the face of the deceased in order to preserve their features for eternity as remembrance for the future. Among the most commonly used materials were brass and marble. Statues and portraits were not colored. Only during the first period the eyes were painted; practice abandoned later when they began to be carved.

The portrait was especially conceived to worship the emperor, and then became adopted for other important characters of society. As in ancient times, the emperor was divinized and worshipped almost in the same way the gods were adored. His power was absolute and people's devotion towards him was unconditional as well. Artists had the task of making them immortal, like the gods, through their work.

Sculptures of emperors depict them in great positions that display their authority, arrogance and supremacy. The emperor is always displayed proud, serene and dominant. One perfect example would be Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, that ruled from the year 41 AD until his death in the year 54.

In examining Claudius's portraits and statues we can appreciate the Roman sculptural style of representation, both from the lyric perspective of art illustration and the technical inclinations of stone work.

However, in spite of presenting the emperor in all his greatness, the Romans did not prefer to idealize their features, as Greek sculptors did with all their divine characters. Roman art was oriented towards realistic depiction of the features, copying exactly the physiognomy, without embellishing the emperor with perfect god-like features in order to make him appear divine, instead of human.

The sculpture displays features that were obviously faithful to the real model: the thin lips, the peculiar shape of the nose, the expression lines across his forehead and around his eyes, revealing age and concern of a man that has too many responsibilities over his head. But his collected and cold eyes reveal intelligence and determination, a strong personality displayed in the authoritarian look on his face. This is where the portrait flexes reality, since Claudius was a rather vulnerable character of the Roman government. However it would not fit to display his weakness in the portrait that should picture him as a proud emperor and a great leader. Some representations of Claudius often show him dressed in armor or war clothes, to state his position as great military chief. Those portraits and sculptures had the function of presenting him strong and proud, more than beautiful.

Roman sculpture was more commercial in style because it was often the emperor himself the one that ordered the bust or portrait to be made. It was meant also as publicity, to display his greatness for his people and present his best image for them.

Besides portraits, important personalities were also pictured in tombstones. Tombstone sculptors invented a bass-relief anecdotic kind of sculpture in a historical type. They tried to fit in the life of the character the highest possible number of heroic deeds and tell them in the scenes depicted. The adventures, characters, happenings, weapons and conquers, were all piled together in a few meters of marble, disposed in episodes, narrating a story. The intention was to allow any possible visitors to know their great deeds and learn about their history.