This week our focus was the Roman Empire, specifically the ending of the Republic, the Julio-Claudian period, and the start of Pax Romana--- the beginning, middle and ending of Imperial rule.
We saw the reintroduction of idealized portraiture, many affixed to heroic bodies such as Portrait of Augustus as general from Primaporta, Italy.
We witnessed an explosion of honorary building employing the Roman inventions of concrete barrel and groin vaulting including massive public spaces like the Flavian Amphitheater, and well preserved Corinthian pseudoperipteral temples like the Masion Carree in Nimes. Also in Nimes, we began to explore the Roman’s public works capabilities with the construction of the Pont-du-Gard aqueduct, the planning of the Forums, and the colossal public baths capable of accommodating thousands in their cavernous rooms. We saw the erection of triumphal arches and columns commemorating military victories and the largess of the emperors. Building upon the emperor’s efforts to provide for his people, we see the first shopping malls in the concrete formed marketplaces and multi-story insulae (apartment buildings). The Romans returned to burial practices ala the ancient Greeks and utilized elaborately carved sarcophagi; perhaps a nod to the influence of the Christian cult which was gaining momentum inside the vast Roman Empire. And, we saw the ultimate in Roman construction prowess… the Colosseum and the Pantheon.
During the Emperor’s rule we see the return of veristic portraiture and the first Roman employment of encaustic painting used for example in the mummy portraits in Roman ruled Egypt.
In the late Empire, we saw a departure from idealism, naturalist, individuality, and personality. Figures began to take on an abstract “cut-out” feeling.
This week we viewed the 2000 version of Gladiator the movie staring Russell Crowe.
Here we saw the passing of the generous and honored Marcus Aurelius who was succeeded by his insane, incestuous disappointment of a son, Commodus.
It was at the beginning of the movie at the army castrum in Gaul that I noticed the Emperor’s oversized tent was decorated with many veristic busts of himself, and of his predecessors and other honored Roman citizens and gods.
I recalled that earlier in our studies of Rome, Susanne telling us that it was a Roman custom of the wealthy to collect busts/portraits of ancestors and to parade them during funerals and other honorary occasions. Although Marcus Aurelius was not at a funeral, I thought it worth noting that the Emperor would travel all the way to Gaul with a collection of marble busts. It bespeaks their importance to the Romans.
From all accounts, the portrayal of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus was true to historical content and I was once again reminded of the gladiators true purpose: to die with honor. It was the unstable, often described as insane, Commodus who popularized the Gladiator games as a way of deflecting the public’s attention to his erratic behavior and substandard rule.
The film made it a point to highlight the grandeur of Flavian’s Amphitheater even going as far as to show Russell Crow’s character’s face when he and his fellow gladiators first entered Rome and saw the majestic building.
Although computer generated, the depiction of the Colosseum in the film enabled the viewer to see the entire building from its ground level 76 barrel-vaulted gateways and arcade, to the towering 16-story structure complete with its upper most portion and the valerium.
Interior shots were tight and did not show in detail the expansive arena area or cavea. We did however see several scenes centering on the covered podium on which Commodus and the royal family’s thrones were placed. With its elaborate furnishings, columns, awning and bronze-gilded acroteria, this probably closely represented the Emperor’s seating area of old.
Throughout the movie, we saw fragments of giant Corinthian and Composite columns as backdrop scenery. Even the palace interior scenes seemed true to our text; large spaceous rooms with a plethora of portraits, columns, purple fabric, exuding a paternal and imperial presence.
While a fictional historical depiction, the movie was adequate at illustrating the art, architecture, fashion, and culture of the age.
No comments:
Post a Comment