Free Essays on Roman Art

Greek and Roman art gave Western art its classical foundation in form, line, structure, and meaning. These two periods gave a great deal of impact and inspiration to our arts and our lives. Many of our structures and sculptures have at least some form of influence from these classical periods. Some of the examples are Epidaurus Theater, The Colosseum, The Parthenon, Temple of Fortuna Virilis, The Panthenon, and the Discus Thrower. Epidaurus Theater and Colosseum exemplifies the classic artistic inheritance in many ways. Epidaurus Theater and Colosseum were both made for entertainment just like our amphitheaters today. Epiduarus Theater was built for performing plays. The middle center is called orchestra and most action took place within here (Janson 138). The seats were curved around the orchestra and went up like a staircase. Hundreds of people could be seated and play can be seen without much difficulty. People also had no trouble hearing what the actors and actresses were saying. They had seats in the front made out of marble for the upper class people, and the top rows were made out of stone for lower class people. The Colosseum was built for gladiatorial games. It was a massive structure that could fit more than 50,000 spectators (182). It usually had three floors with eighty-five entrances, which let people exit and enter into the arena very quickly. The doors were decorated with classical Doric columns on the ground floor followed by Ionic and Corinthian (182). The stage can be adjusted to the environment it needed to be in for the performance. It also had seats for higher class at the bottom made of marble and stone seats on top for lower class citizens. Epidaurus Theater looks just like our amphitheaters today where plays and concerts are performed. They also have places in the back of the stage for actors and actresses to stand by and change. The Colosseum looks like our sports arena and Olympic stadiums. The main ... Free Essays on Roman Art Free Essays on Roman Art The Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal when he himself converted. One of the famous stories about Constantine is of his vision from God on the night before the battle of the Milvian Bridge. According to the legend, Constantine saw the symbol of Jesus Christ’s power in the clouds and a message written in Latin, which read â€Å"In this sign thou shalt conquer.† Immediately, Constantine ordered artisans to place the sign of Christ on his soldier’s shields. The effect of the legalization on the development of the Early Christian church was considerable. The church was thrilled to have Constantine convert; it was a milestone, the emperor of a nation thousands of years old and deeply rooted in their own beliefs one day legalizing and adopting this new religion. This represented the link between the Early Christian church and the state. Art of the time was affected too; there was more of a focus on content than representation. The portrait of Constantine, from the Basilica of Constantine, a huge statue thirty feet high is a good example of content over representation. This was becoming more and more the norm. His eyes were gigantic, (abstract like), and looking upward. His nose is oversized and they use linear lines to identify his hair. Churches started to flourish and Christianity, they were being built in homes. The Basilica of Maxantius was built for Constantine. There was a clear focus at the end of the long axis, toward the alter. The churches were mostly rectangular or â€Å"T† shaped. The outside of these buildings were made to look minimalist, a quality attributing the poverty of Christ. The inside of the churches were not decorated for the same reason, but eventually became highly ornamented. The Basilica at Trier was part of Constantine’s palace; the long flat walls on the outside are plain, except for the arches. Christianity was starting to adopt a classical Roman sense, but the external re... Free Essays on Roman Art Greek and Roman art gave Western art its classical foundation in form, line, structure, and meaning. These two periods gave a great deal of impact and inspiration to our arts and our lives. Many of our structures and sculptures have at least some form of influence from these classical periods. Some of the examples are Epidaurus Theater, The Colosseum, The Parthenon, Temple of Fortuna Virilis, The Panthenon, and the Discus Thrower. Epidaurus Theater and Colosseum exemplifies the classic artistic inheritance in many ways. Epidaurus Theater and Colosseum were both made for entertainment just like our amphitheaters today. Epiduarus Theater was built for performing plays. The middle center is called orchestra and most action took place within here (Janson 138). The seats were curved around the orchestra and went up like a staircase. Hundreds of people could be seated and play can be seen without much difficulty. People also had no trouble hearing what the actors and actresses were saying. They had seats in the front made out of marble for the upper class people, and the top rows were made out of stone for lower class people. The Colosseum was built for gladiatorial games. It was a massive structure that could fit more than 50,000 spectators (182). It usually had three floors with eighty-five entrances, which let people exit and enter into the arena very quickly. The doors were decorated with classical Doric columns on the ground floor followed by Ionic and Corinthian (182). The stage can be adjusted to the environment it needed to be in for the performance. It also had seats for higher class at the bottom made of marble and stone seats on top for lower class citizens. Epidaurus Theater looks just like our amphitheaters today where plays and concerts are performed. They also have places in the back of the stage for actors and actresses to stand by and change. The Colosseum looks like our sports arena and Olympic stadiums. The main ...