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Hellenistic Greek art

V.S. Veristic Roman Art

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Laura Morgan

December 19th, 2016

VIS 217 Art and Architecture of Ancient Cultures

Art is a constant, ever-changing reflection of the opinions and values

held within a society and the most dramatic of these changes can be seen

during times of transition. In times of great change we can see the popular

styles of art shift to resemble the state of a nation. Both Roman Verism and

Greek Hellenistic art were the results of one of these great shifts within their

respective societies. In this essay I will be highlighting the differences and

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similarities in the values and ideologies between Greek and Roman society

as exemplified through the changes in their sculpture during these times.

The Hellenistic Period was ushered in around 334-323 B.C. After

Alexander the Great and his armies conquered much of the known world,

creating an empire that stretched from Greece and Asia Minor through Egypt

and the Persian Empire in the Near East to India. This unprecedented contact

with cultures far and wide disseminated Greek culture and its arts, and

exposed Greek artistic styles to a host of new exotic influences. 1 This influx

of new cultures, materials, and artists inspired an era in which Greek artists

adapted the older more idealistic art style to accommodate a more theatrical

and dramatized look that the populace were demanding. In this greatly

expanded Greek world, Hellenistic art and culture emerged and flourished. 2

As the Greek Empire gained power and influence it became fashionable

for the rich and influential to lavish displays of their wealth. They became

patrons of the arts, commissioning public works of architecture and

sculpture, in an attempt to woo the public with displays of altruism and

benevolence. As well, the wealthy commissioned private luxury items that

demonstrated their affluence and taste.

1 Sen Hemingway Colette Hemingway, "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic
Tradition | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art," The
Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, April 2007, , accessed December 18, 2016,
http://metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm.
2 Sen Hemingway Colette Hemingway, "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic
Tradition | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art," The
Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, April 2007, , accessed December 18, 2016,
http://metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm.
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Hellenistic art is richly diverse in subject matter and in stylistic

developmentone of the immediate results of the new international

Hellenistic scene was the widened range of subject matter that had little

precedent in earlier Greek art. There are representations of unorthodox

subjects, such as grotesques, and of more conventional inhabitants, such as

children and elderly people3 This inclusion of the non-idealized populace

shows the shift within values from the wish to display only that which is

beautiful and serene, with the subject matter predominantly reflecting the

gods and scenes from myths, to reflecting a value of reality and the power

held by their mortal society. During this time the strength and folly of man

was highlighted within the arts, as it had never been before. This Reflection

of reality alludes to a belief in the power of man that may have come from an

inflated sense of power and importance that came with being the conquerors

of most of the known world.

The piece Laocon and his Sons (figure 1) shows the use of expression within

Hellenistic art. This sculpture is a roman copy of the Greeks original bronze

sculpture. Within this sculpture we can see the Greeks interest in the

grotesque as it couples with the beautiful. The struggle of Laocoon and his

sons is captured perfectly within this sculpture, many scholars citing the

acute agony captured within the exaggerated lines of his face. This is a

sculpture that is full of dynamism. His body is writhing in agony, and those

3 Sen Hemingway Colette Hemingway, "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic
Tradition | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art," The
Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, April 2007, , accessed December 18, 2016,
http://metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm.
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serpents are muscular. There is a power here and all of that energy we

associate not with the classical period in ancient Greece, but instead with the

Hellenistic.4 This reflection of human experience within art is what separates

Hellenistic from the idealized style of the more classical period. Hellenistic

art focuses attention on the human condition and all it entails including:

pain, mortality, love and fear.

We can see Laocoons pain in the way the figure twists in space. His

legs are pulled to the left, while his torso is twisted to the right. This

contortion within the body of Laocoon helps to convey the fight to the death

in which this figure is engaged. Such posture expresses a sense of extreme

agony and physical torture. This represents a shift within the Ideals of this

period as the Greeks begin to seek a greater understanding of what it means

to be human.

During the Hellenistic period, artists became concerned with the

accurate representation of childhood, old age, and even physical deformity.

The range of subject matter was extended to include genre-like figures from

the fringes of society. Fine, large-scale statues of fishermen, peasants, and

aged courtesans became valued religious dedications, sometimes placed in a

park-like setting within the sanctuary of the gods.5 In the Statue of an old

4 "Laocon and his sons." Khan Academy. Accessed December 18, 2016.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-
art/hellenistic/v/laoco-n-and-his-sons-early-first-century-c-e.
5 "Marble statue of an old woman | Roman | Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian | The Met." The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum. Accessed December 18, 2016.
http://metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248132.
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market woman (figure 2) we see the effects of time on her body. Her back is

hunched; her gate seems unstable with her feet spread wide apart in an

attempt to maintain balance. Her face is hollowed with age with sunken

cheeks and sagging skin that has been creased with time. Yet despite this

attention to aging, it seems as though the artists intentions were not meant

to demoralize the elderly. When looking at her garb we can see that she was

more important then a simple peasant woman. Her delicate sandals and the

ample material in her thin, elaborately draped chiton are a far cry from the

rough garb of a peasant woman. The ivy wreath on her head marks her

association with Dionysus, and the basket of fruit and the two chickens must

be dedicatory gifts to the god or simply her own provisions for a long day of

celebration. Veneration of Dionysus was widespread during the Hellenistic

period, and ancient literary descriptions give an idea of the extraordinary

processions and festivals held in his honor 6 The artists choice of an older

subject reflects the beauty that can be found in aging. This attention to

excess even for the elderly helps to highlight the Hellenistic values of wealth

and prosperity that came about with the expansion and increased affluence

of the Greek empire. The changes in Greek art and sculpture very much

represented this shift in Greek society and values as a whole.

Similarly, as Roman society shifted from the Republican to the Imperial

stage we can easily see the shift in the values of their culture between these

6 "Marble statue of an old woman | Roman | Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian | The Met." The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum. Accessed December 18, 2016.
http://metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248132.
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two periods by following the shift in styles that happened in Roman

sculpture. During the Republican period, the Romans were governed by

annually elected magistrates, the two consuls being the most important

among them, and the Senate, which was the ruling body of the state.
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Roman society at this time valued strengthening the community and the

individuals dedication to Rome. In the Republican period, art was produced

in the service of the state. After the fall of the Roman Republic, civil wars

ensued between 100 and 42 B.C.E. The wars were finally brought to an end

when Octavian (later called Augustus) defeated Mark Antony in the Battle of

Actium in 31 B.C.E.8 This gave birth to the Imperial Empire.

During the Roman Republic the sculpture highlighted the communal goals of

the Republic, which included hard work, age, wisdom, being a community

leader and soldier. Patrons chose to have themselves represented with

balding heads, large noses, and extra wrinkles, demonstrating that they had

spent their lives working for the Republic as model citizens, flaunting their

acquired wisdom with each furrow of the brow. We now call this portrait style

veristic, referring to the hyper-naturalistic features that emphasize every

flaw, creating portraits of individuals with personality and essence.9

The use of verism to highlight the age and wisdom of the subjects can

be seen within the Marble bust of a man (figure 3). The artist is able to

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8 "Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Accessed December 18, 2016.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/beginners-guide-
rome/a/introduction-to-ancient-roman-art.
9 "Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Accessed December 18, 2016.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/beginners-guide-
rome/a/introduction-to-ancient-roman-art.
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masterfully recreate this image within the marble, creating the illusion of soft

sagging semi transparent skin, and gaunt cheekbones where the youthful fat

has left the cheeks hollow. There is no flattery from this artist. They have not

endeavored to change this mans features, merely to capture them with the

as much honesty to the individuals likeness as possible. Highlighting the

figures age, alludes to the subject having led a long life that resulted in the

gathering of knowledge and experience that would have been highly valued

in the Roman Republic. There is furrowing in his brow and deeply carved lines

around his mouth and eyes that give an illusion that this individual would

engage in long periods of pensive thought. All of these features add up to

create a philosophic look that would have been highly valued in Republic

society for what it would have added to the greater community.

Augustuss rise to power in Rome signaled the end of the Roman Republic

and the formation of Imperial rule. The art and portraiture also went through

a drastic shift, as it was now used mainly as political propaganda in an

attempt to aggrandize the ruler and his family.

Art was often linking the ruler with divine ancestry in an attempt to

legitimize his right to rule, or in later portraiture, create resemblances to

prior rulers in an attempt to become associated with their achievements so

that they might bolster the publics opinion of the current emperor.

The statue of Augustus of Primaporta shows the shift from the old veristic

form into a more classically inspired form. Although they maintain the

likeness to the subject within the face, the body is obviously aggrandized in
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an attempt to display power and regality. Classicizing elements include the

smooth lines, elegant drapery, idealized nude bodies, highly naturalistic

forms and balanced proportions that the Greeks had perfected over centuries

of practice Augustus and the Julio-Claudian dynasty were particularly fond

of adapting Classical elements into their art. The Augustus of Primaporta was

made at the end of Augustuss life, yet he is represented as youthful,

idealized and strikingly handsome like a young athlete; all hallmarks of

Classical art.10 Augustus of Primaporta is shown with the broad muscular

form of a soldier. His chest plate (Figure 5) depicts the victory of the Romans

as the central image, surrounded by the celestial gods, alluding to the belief

that the very planets supported Roman dominance over the lands they had

conquered. By the right foot of the statue we can see cupid who was

reported to be a divine ancestor of Augustus. The combined use of a soldiers

idealized form, and the presence of the gods, work to legitimize Augustuss

claim to power. This reflects the values of Roman society, where the strong

and divine are valued as opposed to the older and more experienced that

were valued during the Republican period.

Both Roman and Greek society showed dramatic changes within their art

when their society was in a state of extreme shift. Art reflects the way in

which these two societies changed their belief structure in order to ratify the

changes in their societies.

10 "Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Accessed December 18, 2016.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/beginners-guide-
rome/a/introduction-to-ancient-roman-art.
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When the Greek empire went through a rapid expansion, their art

began to reflect the prosperity of that time. As Greek society shifted during

the great expansion of their empire, the value shift from the idealistic

classical art, which highlighted an aspiration from the mortal to the divine,

and became more the humanistic style in Hellenistic art which focused more

on the human condition and the pains and desires that are born from

humanity. This time of relative excess shapes Greek society in that it

diminishes some of their reliance on the gods shifting power to the

individual.

The Romans experienced an apposing shift between Republican and

Imperial Rome. As the Republic fell, the value attributed to the community

was greatly diminished and the individual in the form of the emperor was

raised in importance above the rest. In order to hold on to this power through

times of scarcity the Roman emperors relied on the gods divine approval to

bolster their legitimacy. Within both Greek and Roman society their wealth,

their beliefs, and their experience of prosperity or tumult can be seen

reflected within the sculptures that show their people.

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Figure 1
Laocon and his Sons
Artstore

Figure 2

Statue of an old market woman

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Artstore

Figure 3
Marble bust of a man
Artstore

Figure 4
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Augustus of Primaporta
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Figure 5
Augustus of Primaporta (chest)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Citations:
Rosemarie Trentinella, "Roman Portrait Sculpture: The Stylistic Cycle | Essay |
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art," The
Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, , accessed December 18, 2016,
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ropo2/hd_ropo2.htm.

Hemingway Sen Hemingway Colette. "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the
Hellenistic Tradition | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The
Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
April 2007. Accessed December 18, 2016.
http://metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm.

"Laocon and his sons." Khan Academy. Accessed December 18, 2016.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-
art/hellenistic/v/laoco-n-and-his-sons-early-first-century-c-e.

"Marble statue of an old woman | Roman | Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian | The

Met." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum. Accessed
December 18, 2016. http://metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248132.

"Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Accessed December 18, 2016.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-
civilizations/roman/beginners-guide-rome/a/introduction-to-ancient-roman-
art.

Marilyn Stokstad, Art History Portable Edition: Ancient Art (Book 1), 6th edition
(Upper Saddle River NJ)