Search results
Ancient Roman statue of Isis, in the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna; first half of the 2nd century AD, found in Naples, Italy; made out of black and white marble.
- Augustus of Prima Porta. Augustus of Prima Porta is a full-length picture of Augustus Caesar, the Roman Empire’s first emperor. The marble statue is 2.08 meters tall and 1,000 kilograms in weight.
- Farnese Hercules. The Farnese Hercules is an antique Hercules statue that was possibly extended in the early third century AD and signed by Glykon, who is otherwise unknown; his name is Greek, although he may have worked in Rome.
- The Orator. The Orator, also known as L’Arringatore (Italian), is a late second or early first century BC Etruscan bronze sculpture. Aulus Metellus was an Etruscan senator from Perugia or Cortona in the Roman Republic.
- Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius. The Marcus Aurelius Equestrian Monument is an antique Roman equestrian statue located on Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy.
- Evolution
- Statuary & Portrait Sculpture
- Architectural Sculpture
- Funerary Sculpture
- Outstanding Examples
- Conclusion
As with Greek sculpture, the Romans worked stone, precious metals, glass and terracotta but favoured bronze and marble above all else for their finest work. However, as metalhas always been in high demand for re-use, most of the surviving examples of Roman sculpture are in marble. The Roman taste for Greek and Hellenistic sculpture meant that once ...
As with the Greek sculptors, the Romans loved to represent their gods in statues. When Roman emperors began to claim divinity then they too became the subject of often colossal and idealised statues, often with the subject portrayed with an arm raised to the masses and striking a suitably authoritative stance as in the Augustusof the Prima Porta. S...
Sculpture on Roman buildings could be merely decorative or have a more political purpose, for example, on triumphal arches (which most often celebrated military victories) the architectural sculpture captured in detail key campaign events which reinforced the message that the emperor was a victorious and civilizing agent across the known world. A t...
Funeral busts and stelae (tombstones) were one of the most common forms of sculpture in the Roman world. These sculptures could portray the deceased alone, with their partner, children and even slaves (see the 1st century CE gravestone of the corn-merchant Ampudius, now in the British Museum). Figures usually wear a toga and women can hold the pudi...
The two large relief panels from the Arch of Titus in Rome are celebrated as the first successful attempt to create depth and space in sculpture. The panels depict scenes from the emperor's triumphal procession in 71 CE following his campaigns in Judaea, one shows Titus riding a four-horse chariot whilst the other shows the spoils from the temple o...
Roman sculpture, then, has provided us not only with a priceless record of earlier Greek masterpieces but it has also contributed great works in their own right. Unique contributions to the art form include the use of historical narratives and an unprecedented realism in portraits which could take the form of grandiose emperors dressed as gods or m...
- Mark Cartwright
You can explore ideas about production, context and meaning in Roman and 18th century in our Ince Blundell Roman sculpture collection online and also in Elizabeth Bartman’s catalogue of the ideal statues and busts.
Mar 27, 2023 · Sculptures in ancient Rome were created using a variety of techniques. The most common method was carving, which was used to create both free-standing statues and reliefs. Another popular technique was casting, which was used to create larger statues and monuments.
Jan 11, 2023 · By raising portraiture to previously unheard-of degrees of verism and sponsoring enormous public works projects that represented intricate mythology and military triumphs, the Romans made their mark on sculpture. Examples showing the stylistic range of Roman portrait sculpture.
People also ask
What are Roman sculptures?
Where can I find information about Roman sculpture?
What did Roman sculpture look like at the end of the Empire?
How were Roman sculptures made?
What is the legacy of Roman sculptures?
What is the relationship between Roman sculpture and Greek sculpture?
Roman sculptures were artworks created by the skilled hands of artists during the Roman Empire, which spanned from 27 BCE to 476 CE. These sculptures were crafted using various materials such as marble, bronze, and clay.
