Unit 2, Lesson 3

Greek Influence on Roman Sculpture

In late 4th century BCE, Romans initiated policy of expansion that made them masters of Mediterranean world in 300 years Victorious military generals brought back Greek art in all forms to Rome because they were impressed by wealth, culture, & beauty of Greek cities Educated & wealthy Romans developed taste for art that emulated Greek culture Greek & Roman artists created marble & bronze copies of famous Greek statues Molds taken from original sculptures used to make plaster casts to be shipped to workshops in Roman Empire to be replicated in marble or bronze Hollow plaster casts used to produce bronze replicas; solid plaster casts with many points of measurement used to make marble replicas Marble copies lack tensile strength of bronze, so struts/supports carved in form of tree trunks, figures, or other images were used Many Roman sculptures are just Roman, but others are exact copies of Greek statues or variants of Greek prototypes adapted to liking of Roman patron Some Roman sculptures are imitation of more than one Greek original, & others combine image of Greek god or athlete with Roman portrait head Meaning of original Greek statue often lent beauty, importance, or a heroic quality to the person portrayed By end of 2nd century, demand for copies of Greek statues were huge; marble & bronze statuary in niches decorated public monuments, theaters, & public baths throughout Roman Empire

niche

a recess in a wall, especially one made to hold a statue

Why are Roman copies in marble and bronze so important?

because they often provide primary visual evidence of masterpieces by famous Greek sculptors because most ancient bronze statues were lost or melted down to reuse the metal