A Glimpse inside the

art of ancient Rome

Started as a village in the 8th century BCE
 Roman empire was established under
Emperor Augustus in 27 BCE
It occupied most of the europe that surround
the mediterranean sea.
They were shaped by the greeks through
their philosphy, literature and art and they
also admired greek artworks

Sculpted Portraits – serve as a

remembrance for their loved ones.
- Faces of the deceased
- Stones and marbles were used for their
durability and permanence.
 Mostly utilitarian
Roman Earthenware was influenced by the
Etruscans(Tuscan, Italy) and the Greeks.
Decorations on Roman pottery were engraved.
Coarse ware was used for daily use such as
cooking, storing liquid , etc.
• Fine ware was used for formal occasions.

(Terra Sigillata)
“Clay bearing little images” that was popular across
the empire
Murals are large artworks often painted directly
on the wall.
The building method they used was a series
The Romans employed a method of building
that resulted in bigger and stronger
structures, the arch.
of arches combined together, creating a
tunnel of sorts which is called barrel vault
They also developed concrete that made the
buildings stronger and taller.
Open air buildings were called
amphitheaters.
Colosseum or coliseum also known as the
Flavian Amphitheater was one of the
popular venues.

Why do they build these infrastructures?

To make life easier
To show the power of the Roman Empire
Began the construction under Emperor Vespasian
Completed under Emperor Titus
Elliptical-shaped structure
Named after “colossal” statue of Nero
Capacity of 50, 000 people
76 archways that surround the perimeter
Dead combatants were brought to a chamber called
Spoliarium.

A noteworthy example of a roman temple is the

Pantheon.
Located near the Piazza della Rotonda
Made for the Roman gods.
Decorated with recessing panels called coffers.
Light enters the temple through the oculus, a 10m
hole on the top of the dome.
 An important contribution of the roman art is the
basilicas.
Basilicas are rectangular ancient roman public
buildings that is divided by a row of columns.
The main corridor is the nave and the narrower
corridors are called aisles.
It was where the roman people gathered to discuss law
or other important matters.