Roman Art vs Christian Art

The Imperial Procession is a detailed relief located on the south side of Ara Pacis Augustae, know today as Alter of Augustan Peace. Ara Pacis, as a whole, was commemorated to Augustus’ triumphal return to Rome after establishing Roman rule in Gaul and Hispania. The south side of the alter is an example of the realism in Roman art. Augustus, priests, and the imperial family walks in double lines as they would have in this particular procession. The people in the detailed relief are recognizable people of that day in age, and are participating in a specific event known in that time. The feet of the figures in the relief project from the architectural groundline, so the viewer feels that the procession is real. The rest of the alter presents Augustus in different ways. He is depicted as a speaker, a peacemaker, a civic leader, etc. it is much like seeing picture of a President of the U.S. in suit and tie during a speech, and then in jeans and a t-shirt participating in a service project. This method of portrayal was very common in Roman art.

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus is an example of Christian art. Junius Bassus was a Roman official that had been baptized and died very young. The front of this panel is divided into ten spaces where ten different depictions of the Bible are sculpted. The detail in the architecture (columns) used to separate each scene suggests an earthly setting for the scenes. Jesus is depicted as a teacher/philosopher in the upper middle space. It is in this space that the pagan past of the Romans is referenced by Jesus standing on the head of Aeolus, the classical god of the winds. Since Aeolus personified the skies, it is thought that Christ is sitting in heaven in this scene. Another picture is of Jesus riding into Jerusalem in triumph on a donkey. Artwork like Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus was created to untie the imagery of the Old Testament of the Bible with the New Testament. Abraham is shown in one of the spaces right after he passed the test of God’s faith by being willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Some say that this is a foreshadowing of God’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ. David is also shown after he is saved from the lion’s den. This is thought to be a preview of Christ’s resurrection. The story of Adam and Eve the story of Job, parts of the crucifixion including Pontius Pilot, and the story of Paul being arrested are on the piece as well. Each story has an enormous impact on Christianity, so it was important for the Christians to portray this to people.

The goal of a lot of Roman art was to show respect to a specific leader of the time. In order to do this, the actual leader was incorporated into the art somehow. There were statues of specific leaders built, towers made in honor of them, etc. the point was for the people to be able to distinguish the leaders in the art. The art depicted victories, accomplishments, and historical and current events of the time. This is very obviously happening in The Imperial Procession. Figures can be recognized, as they were meant to, and they are participating in a procession that would have happened in the time period it was built. Christian art, on the other hand, did not necessarily depict people from current times. Although the viewer was meant to be able to pick out each character in the art, they were not the leaders of the time. Christian art portrayed stories from the bible to better teach people about Christianity. The art was used as a way to initiate the worship of God, not man. Iconography was largely used in Christian art. Christians adopted symbols from pagan traditions, but also created their own. Depictions of stories from the Old Testament of the Bible were many times used as foreshadowing of the stories in the New Testament in art. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus is a very good example of this. One can identify the figures in each scene by what is happening in the scene. Although they are recognizable people, they are only this way because that is the way people knew them. They are not leaders of the current time. They are not victorious in war. They are not participating in a common meeting, or procession in time; they are depicting what happens in the Bible.


For some reason my blog does not allow me to post pictures. It used to, but it no longer does. To see an image of The imperial Procession go here: http://www.westcler.org/gh/curlessmatt/arthistory/6/AraPacisImperialProcession.jpg

To see a picture of Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus go here: http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/Images/arth212images/early_christian/sculpture/junius_bassus.jpg

Parthenon Project

The metopes are a very interesting element of the Parthenon. Because of their size, they can sometimes go unnoticed. Nonetheless the metopes should be considered a marvel because by “numbering 92 in all, they were by far the most extensive cycle of metopes ever put together in Doric architecture” (18). The metopes tell the story of the centaur and the Greeks. The centaur was to represent to negative and barbaric qualities in humans, while the Greeks represented the positive and heroic qualities in humans. It was a battle of good versus evil when the drunken centaurs came into the banquet hall with a sexual agenda and took away the Greek’s women. This is the only story that is represented in the Parthenon in which the Greeks do not come out on top. The Classical Period was a time in realizing the constant struggle to maintain a balance between good and evil, and the metopes assist in getting that point across.

...i found this to be the most interesting story dictated on the Parthenon, partly because I find it to be truth.

Psykter

The Psykter vase was a vase for cooling wine. it is a red-figure vase that depicts young, nude athletes practicing with their trainers. Each name of the athletes is inscribed, and some also have more of a description abut them. Oltos was the artist of this vase. He was an active potter in Greece from 525-500 bc. He put his signature on the 2 kylikes. OLtos made the figures skillfully so they would still look upright even with the curve of the vase. The trainers are bearded and wearing mantles with fold and zigzag edges, which is normal for Oltos' vessels. He is called a master in the relief line, and it can be proven with this Psykter vase.