Etruscan and Roman Art Homework Questions (Chapter 6) - Due Friday, October 11th

1. What is the history behind the sculpture of the She-Wolf (fig. 6-1)? Describe it's stylistic form, it's origins, and its appropriation by subsequent cultures.

2. What made the Apollo (figure 6-5) such an artistic achievement? Describe how the work was created and where we would have found this sculpture in its original setting.

3. How were the Etruscan tomb chambers decorated? Address the subject matter of the works as well as the variety of objects within the tombs. What does this tell us about the Etruscan culture?

4. Why is the distinction between early Roman and Etruscan art difficult?

5. What is Virgil’s legend of the founding of Rome? How does this legend tie Roman culture to the Greeks?

6. What was the government structure of the Roman republic? Describe the various divisions of power and the major class structures of people in the culture.

7. Why might the Romans have sought to create believable images in their sculptural works? Address the role of realism as a new development in these works and how Roman beliefs and practices contribute to the style and appearance of these works.

8. How and why did the Early Roman Empire develop? Address the major changes during the first centuries BCE and CE and discuss how these changes would have affected Roman art.

9. How is the Ara Pacis (figure 6-21) a combination of decorative allegory and Roman realism? Discuss the imagery within the temple and the temples purpose. How does the imagery convey that purpose?

10. What was the layout of the city of Pompeii? Describe the fundamental areas of the city plan and how Roman culture affected the layout.

11. What were the purposes of the atrium and the peristyle with regards to the Roman house? Describe how we might recognize these areas.

12. What do the wall paintings of Pompeii reveal about the lives of the people? Use a specific example to demonstrate how the imagery reflects the culture.

13. What does the Arch of Titus (figure 6-38) depict? Address the purpose of the arch and how the imagery serves to support that purpose.

14. What scenes are depicted on the Column of Trajan (figure 6-50)? Address the content and form of the column.

15. What unique architectural elements are present in the Pantheon (figure 6-64)? Describe how these unique features are instrumental in the building's construction.

16. How do the Tetrarchs (figure 6-70) show a turn toward symbolic representation?

17. What was the Edict of Milan and what did it do? What cultural changes might this edict have initiated?

18. How does the large Head of Constantine the Great (figure 6-74) combine traditional and abstract qualities? Compare this work to a republican era portrait bust of Pompey (fig. 6-12)