A HISTORY OF ROMAN ArT A HISTORY OF ROMAN ArT STEVEN L. TUCK This edition first published 2015 © 2015 Steven L. Tuck Registered Office John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK Editorial Offices 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services, and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell. The right of Steven L. Tuck to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. 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N5740.T83 2015 709.37–dc23 2014029770 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Cover image: Detail of slave from a fresco in the House of Punished Love, Pompeii, 1st century ce. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, Italy / © Samuel Magal, Sites & Photos Ltd. / The Bridgeman Art Library Set in 10/13pt Minion by SPi Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India 1 2015 This book is dedicated to ELIZABETH TUCK and EMILY TUCK. More than mere witnesses to the years of work that went into it, they endured – with great patience – my long answers to the innocent question, “How is it going?” They also endured endless questions from me about images, adverbs, and grammar in general. Emily read much of the book in manuscript prior to publication, an act of pietas if ever there was one. BRIEF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION TO ROMAN ART HISTORY 1 2 REGAL PERIOD, 753–509 bce 18 The Etruscans and the Question of Etruscan Dominance 3 THE EARLY REPUBLIC, 509–211 bce 48 The Spread of Roman Power and Forms 4 THE LATER REPUBLIC, 211–31 bce 77 The Origins of a Hellenistic Roman Culture 5 THE AGE OF AUGUSTUS, 31 bce–14 ce 113 The Art of Empire 6 THE JULIo-ClAUDIANS, 14–68 ce 145 The Rise of Roman Dynastic Art 7 THE FLAVIANS, 69–96 ce 178 Civil War, Disaster, and Response 8 TRAJAN AND HADRIAN, 98–138 ce 211 Emperors from the Provinces 9 ANTONINE EMPERORS, 138–192 ce 245 From an Empire of Gold to One of Rust 10 CIVIL WAR AND SEVERAN DYNASTY, 193–235 ce 273 Calm before the Storm 11 THE THIRD CENTURY AND THE TETRARCHY, 235–306 ce 301 Crisis and Renewal 12 CONSTANTINE, 306–337 ce 334 Christian Empire and the Decline of the West vii CONTENTS List of Illustrations xii Preface xxi Note to Students xxiii Acknowledgments xxv Walk Through Tour xxvi Timeline xxviii About the Website xxxiii 1 INTRODUCTION TO ROMAN ART HISTORY 1 Cultural Property Controversies 2 Dating Dilemmas in Roman Art History 3 Restoration Issues in Roman Art History 4 The Role of Elites in Public Art and Architecture 4 Italic versus Classical Styles and Forms I: Temples 5 Italic versus Classical Styles and Forms II: Portraiture 7 Female Portraiture and Embedded Values 9 Romans Judging Roman Art: Values and Class 11 Art, Context, and Social Status I: The Tomb of Vestorius Priscus 12 Art, Context, and Social Status II: The Roman House 14 Narrative Moment 16 Suggestions for Further Reading 17 2 REGAL PERIOD, 753–509 BCE 18 The Etruscans and the Question of Etruscan Dominance Timeline 18 Introduction to the World of Early Rome and Italy 19 The Etruscans 21 Art in Latium, the Region around Rome 27 Archaic Rome: City Planning and Architecture 29 Etruscan Tomb Paintings 41 Greco-Italic Archaic Architecture: A Doric Temple at Pompeii 45 Conclusion 46 Suggestions for Further Reading 46 viii CONTENTS ix 3 THE EARLY REPUBLIC, 509–211 BCE 48 The Spread of Roman Power and Forms Timeline 48 Introduction to Early Roman Republican Art 49 Lucanian Tomb Painting, Paestum 55 Roman Architecture and Urban Planning 70 Conclusion 75 Suggestions for Further Reading 76 4 THE LATER REPUBLIC, 211–31 BCE 77 The Origins of a Hellenistic Roman Culture Timeline 77 Introduction 78 Architecture and Urban Planning 78 Roman Wall Painting in the Late Republic 94 Late Republican Sculpture 108 Conclusion 111 Suggestions for Further Reading 112 5 THE AGE OF AUGUSTUS, 31 BCe–14 CE 113 The Art of Empire Timeline 113 Augustus 114 The Portraits of Augustus 115 Augustus and the City of Rome 118 Third Style Wall Painting 132 The Emulation of Augustan Art 133 Traditional Italic Style in the Age of Augustus 137 Concrete Architecture 140 Conclusion 141 Suggestions for Further Reading 143 6 THE JULIo-ClAUDIANS, 14–68 CE 145 The Rise of Roman Dynastic Art Timeline 145 Introduction 146 Tiberius, 14–37 ce, and Caligula, 37–41 ce 146 x CONTENTS Claudius, 41–54 ce 157 Nero, 54–68 ce 163 Public Buildings and Interior Decoration, Pompeii 171 Conclusion 177 Suggestions for Further Reading 177 7 THE FLAVIANS, 69–96 CE 178 Civil War, Disaster, and Response Timeline 178 Civil War of 68–69 ce 179 Vespasian and Titus, 69–81 ce 180 Domitian, 81–96 ce 197 Conclusion 209 Suggestions for Further Reading 210 8 TRAJAN AND HADRIAN, 98–138 CE 211 Emperors from the Provinces Timeline 211 Nerva, 96–98 ce 212 Trajan, 98–117 ce, and Hadrian, 117–138 ce 213 Sculpture 225 Conclusion 244 Suggestions for Further Reading 244 9 ANTONINE EMPERORS, 138–192 CE 245 From an Empire of Gold to One of Rust Timeline 245 Introduction 246 Antonine Portraiture 247 Architectural Sculpture 253 Architecture 257 Wall Painting and Mosaics 260 Sarcophagi 263 Fayum Mummy Portraits 268 Conclusion 271 Suggestions for Further Reading 272 CONTENTS xi 10 CIVIL WAR AND SEVERAN DYNASTY, 193–235 CE 273 Calm before the Storm Timeline 273 Introduction 274 Trends and Developments in Severan Art 274 Conclusion 299 Suggestions for Further Reading 300 11 THE THIRD CENTURY AND THE TETRARCHY, 235–306 CE 301 Crisis and Renewal Timeline 301 Third-Century Emperors and the Tetrarchy 302 Coin Portraits of the Third Century ce 309 Historical Reliefs 311 Imperial Architecture 320 Conclusion 330 Suggestions for Further Reading 332 12 CONSTANTINE, 306–337 CE 334 Christian Empire and the Decline of the West Timeline 334 Constantine, the First Christian Emperor 335 Conclusion 356 Epilogue: The Fall of Rome and the Rise of New Romes 357 Suggestions for Further Reading 362 Glossary 363 Guide to Further Reading 366 Index 368 ILLUSTRATIONS 0.1 Map of full extent of Roman Empire under Trajan, c. 115 ce 1.1 Julio-Claudian man, portrait 1.2 Capitoline She-wolf statue, 5th cent. bce or 13th cent. ce 1.3 Statue of Roman man with busts of ancestors, “Barbarini Togatus,” 1st cent. ce and 16th cent. ce 1.4 Cloaca Maxima (Great Drain) outlet to the Tiber, Rome, c. 510 bce 1.5a,b Greek Temple of Hera, Paestum, c. 450 bce compared with Roman Temple of Portunus, Rome, c. 150 bce 1.6 Victorious general from Tivoli, Italy, c. 75–50 bce 1.7 Emperor Lucius Verus as victorious athlete, Rome, c. 169 ce 1.8 Trebonianus Gallus bronze portrait, 251–253 ce 1.9a,b Small Herculaneum Woman Statue and Large Herculaneum Woman Statue, 1st cent. ce 1.10 Still life paintings, Praedia of Julia Felix, Pompeii, c. 70 ce 1.11 Gladiator fresco, Tomb of Vestorius Priscus, Pompeii, 75/76 ce 1.12 Silver service fresco, Tomb of Vestorius Priscus, Pompeii, 75/76 ce 1.13a,b Cutaway and plan of Roman atrium house 1.14 Facade photo of Roman house, Pompeii 2.1 Map of Etruria, including Etruscan, Latin, and Greek communities in early Italy 2.2a,b Plan of the Etruscan Banditaccia necropolis, Cerveteri and photo of tumulus 2.3 Tomb of the Shields and Chairs plan, Banditaccia necropolis, Cerveteri, c. 550 bce 2.4 Gold fibula from the Regolini-Galassi tomb, Cerveteri 2.5 Ivory pyxis, Pania burial, Chiusi, 650–600 bce 2.6 Terracotta “canopic” urn, Chiusi, 625–600 bce 2.7 Couple sarcophagus from Cerveteri, c.