Ancient Mediterranean Art 2.4

Ancient Mediterranean Art

3500 BCE- 300 BCE

TOPIC 2.4 Theories and Interpretations of Ancient Mediterranean Art 

The study of art history is shaped by different theories and interpretations of art and art making that change over time and may be generated both by visual analysis as well as by scholarship. These theories and interpretations may be used, harnessed, manipulated, and adapted to make an art-historical argument about a work or a group of works of art.

Gathering Contextual Information

Contextual information for Ancient Greek and Roman art can be derived from contemporary literary, political, legal, and economic records, as well as from archaeological excavations conducted from the mid-18th century onward.  Etruscan art, by contrast, is illuminated primarily by modern archaeological record and by descriptions of contemporary external observers.

Categorizing Ancient Mediterranean Art

The arts of these early western artistic cultures are generally studied chronologically. Additionally, archaeological models and stylistic analysis have identified periods based on stylistic changes. Artworks are assigned to periods according to styles, for example archaic Greek. It may also be categorized by governments, or dynasties such as the Roman Republic. This is also dependent on the available technology, and the availability of evidence.

A Foundation for Later Development

Ancient Greek and Roman art provided the foundation for the later development of European and Mediterranean artistic traditions. From the 18th century onward, European, and American observers admired ancient Greek and Roman ethical and governmental systems.  This contributed to prioritizing art and architecture that could be associated with political elites and cultural capitals, for example Rome. More recently, art historians have examined art produced by contemporary subjects or “provincial” populations.

Some of the earliest written statements about artists and art making survive from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Little survives of the rich Etruscan literary tradition that is documented in Roman sources.

 

(2) 31. Temple of Minerva and sculpture of Apollo 

Temple of Minerva (elevation and plan). Master sculptor Vulca. Etruscan. 510-500 BCE. Etruscan.

Temple of Minerva, in Veii, near Rome, Italy, was made from mudbrick and wood. Therefore, over the many years,  the structure has vanished.

We know what it would have looked like thanks to Roman architect Vitruvius who wrote the book De architectura, a book about Etruscan temples in the late first century BCE.

The temple measured 50 by 70 feet and was elevated on a raised platform like a stylobate. The stone foundation was made from a material called tufa, a porous limestone.

Steps in front direct your attention to the porch, with only one defined entrance in the front. It was not meant to be seen from the back or sides.

The influence of Greek architecture is evident in the pediment/columns. These Tuscan columns are Doric with a base, unfluted, made from wood and spaced widely apart. Once these columns had been painted to be both colourful and ornate.

Acroteria, or roof sculptures sat on the tops of Etruscan temples, unlike Greek architecture, where these figures would be in the pediment.

A Dedication to Minerva

This temple was a dedication to Minerva (Athena) patron goddess of heroic endeavors. It was a place not only of worship, but community and gatherings.

The back portion of the building was divided into three separate rooms or triple cellas, known as a divine triad.  These were dedicated to Athena (Minerva), Zeus ( Jupiter) and Hera (Juno).

Terra Cotta Sculptural Remains

Several terra cotta sculptures remain from the Temple of Minerva. The most prized is the Sculpture of Apollo standing at 5 feet and 11 inches. This acroterion roof sculpture was painted. It has the Archaic smile that Etruscan figures tend to present as excitement and happiness. The hair is braided as is common. Apollo is stepping forward, but there is no movement in the upper body.

Who was Vulca?

Etruscan art is almost always anonymous. However, literature gives us a clue as to who created the pieces found at the Temple of Minerva. Roman writer Pliny wrote that in the late 6th century BCE, an Etruscan artist by the name of Vulca was summoned from Veii to Rome, with a request to decorate the most important temple there, the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

This was a large-scale commission that required the work of a master. Art historians believe that these skills may have landed Vulca the commission at Temple of Minerva.

Today the Sculpture of Apollo resides at the Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, in Rome.

 

(2) 37. Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Greek. 190 BCE.  Greek (Hellenistic)

Learning Objective: Hellenistic female sculpture

Themes:

Commemoration
Deities
Victory
Religious complex

Museum: Louvre, Paris

Winged Victory of Samothrace is a deeply carved figure of marble, standing a monumental 9 feet tall. It is work full of energy, with a display of movement. Note the dramatic twist and contrapposto of the figure. The wet drapery imitates the look of water upon the body.

Found on the island of Samothrace in a sanctuary in a harbor, she faces the way that the wind typically blows, which explains the flutter of the drapery.

Function

Winged Victory of Samothrace was built to commemorate a naval victory by the Greeks. Which battle remains unclear, but many scholars point to the Battle of Cos between Macedonians and Egyptians

Nike the Goddess of Victory

This work was meant to sit on a fountain, as a figurehead on a boat. The fountain would splash water on the figure as if the waves were dashing up against the ship. The statue would have reflected off the water, giving it a sense of movement.

Winged Victory of Samothrace, is the messenger goddess of victory, Nike. Her missing right arm may have raised a victory crown or been held up in greeting. A fragment found in 1948 seems to be from this statue and indicates her arm was raised.

Her clothing is pulled tightly across her abdomen and left leg. It bunches up in thick layers around her front right leg. This makes the figure seems to be alive and breathing. The work is intensely emotive.

A Backgrounder on Hellenism

Hellenism began after the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE). At this point, the strain and change in Greek life prompted artists to explore a wider range of emotion. This was most apparent in sculpture. These new works had a greater variety of expression through motion, movement, and energy.