Art

Ancient Roman art was closely related to the Etruscan and Greek art. Although Greece was more interested in ideals, like the most beautiful or athletic man, Rome was more interested in reality. Romans thought that keeping a good image of a person’s face would keep its ghost happy. They did that so the ghost wouldn’t haunt them. The Roman art style first started changing when they started conquering Greece. The art in Greece’s temples and cemetaries influenced them. (History for Kids . org ) Ancient Roman’s used four different styles of painting. The first was called //fresco//. Fresco is when they paint the walls to look like marble or other Greek decoration. The second was a realistic scene, like a view out of a window. Garland, fruit, flowers, or birds completed this artistic touch. The third was a realistic scene that could inc   lude full size people. These usually took up a whole wall. The fourth and final style was a combination of the second and third. ( http://www.historylink101.com/ancient_rome/ancient_rome_art.htm ) Art of the 1st and 2nd centuries continued Greek imitations. They added more art as propaganda. Some examples are the Arch of Titus and Trajan’s Column. They also began to decorate walls of houses with the four styles of painting. In the 3rd century, Germans added bloodshed. The Column of Marcus Aurelius shows people having their heads cut   off and guts ripped out or suffering in some other way. There was an increase in the use of drill instead of chisel which resulted in a different look. And then there was more of a concern for the soul because there were more Christians. Art was shown with more emphasis on eyes, because they were considered the window to the soul. People were often looking up to the heavens. And because artist paid so much attention to the face, they cared less about an accurate body which were often disproportionate. That was how the 4th century art looked until the fall of Rome. (Pankti) http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/art/ Art was used to proclaim important people’s power and usually showed images and not perfect shapes. To paint, romans use paint brushes made of natural materials such as twigs, reeds, or rushes. For writing they used shaped wood or ivory. The paints were made of ground rocks or powdered plants. Red & yellow came from ochre, white from chalk, green from green soil, black from soot, blue from a mixture of copper and glass, and purple from a special shell. Sculptures were often linked to military victories and appeared on monumental altars, arches, and columns. Trajan’s Column looks like a recorded cartoon strip that winds around it for about 200 ft. http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/arthistory/rome.htm

Work cited http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/art/ http://www.historylink101.com/ancient_rome/ancient_rome_art.htm http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/arthistory/rome.htmPicture [|ancientimes.blogspot.com/ 2007/12/national-mus...]