minor arts Flashcards
construction, context and function for cameos
carved from sardonyx, layered colouring creates both depth and different shades of
sometime cut into gemstones too
comparatively few cut in early empire but survived as luxury objects for centuries
relief images in miniature (but still relatively sizeable in most cases we consider
very little known of their context or purpose - assumed to be made in imperial court and given to aristocrats/close relations as gifts
incredibly restricted medium - seen by very few
no obvious practical function - display pieces?
technique in gemma augustea (artifact not within our period!!)
relief imagery in sardonyx
sculptor cuts down into different layers for different colours
figures in white layer, background carved down to brown layer
only in case of sardonyx base: placed in a sugar solution after carving to up the contrast of colours
dating controversy for the gemma augustea (still not in our period - probably)
several dates suggested: principate of augustus? early tiberian? reign of claudius as part of his ‘deliberate revival of augustan imagery and special affection for the imperial group portrait’
themes of gemma augustea (you guessed it, not in our period)
succession (not that succession lol): depicts augustus waiting for tiberius to return on his chariot with a young germanicus between them in military dress
augustus enthroned alongside the goddess roma, depicted in his 33 BC prime rather than old age
unreal/mythologising effect upon the image of the imperial family
augustus in the guise of jupiter reinforces ideas of imperial power and his obligation to provide a successor
has been posited that it alludes to a specific event - Tiberius triumph in 7 bc (german), 12 (illyricum) or 9 (illyrian)
imagery of the gemma augustea
NOTE: classicising approach to the figures has created a lot of debate around who is who, the below is based on KLEINER (1992)
scenes appear on two registers, the upper register depicts augustus, tiberius and germanicus who are distinguished from others by their drilled pupils and defining portrait attributes traditionally associated with each
AUGUSTUS: seated on bisellium, nude from the waist up, eagle to align with jupiter and sceptre of jupiter to his left
TIBERIUS: toga with wreathed head, four horse chariot, turned in direction of the emperor
lower register: scene of captive barbarians with soldiers raising a trophy
gemma claudia
though the effect is meant to placing the imperial family in a timeless and universal framework, this one depicts very particular an therefore dateable circumstances
AD 49 to 54
Claudius marries Agrippina the younger in 49 and they are depicted with with germanicus and agrippina the elder, Claudius and Agrippina Y in forefront, others in background
eagle looks to Claudius to show his superior authority
unification: claudius and agrippina tied together by a double cornucopia
Cologne Cameo
imagery: wreathed young nero, ship in hand to represent naval victory - agrippina (also wreathed) crowning him with another wreath in the guise of fortuna
comparanda: compare ‘rougher’ style with the so called gemma constantiniana (wow spellcheck does not trust that and nor do I) just cos you think the cameo looks bad doesn’t mean that it’s constantine’s fault, probably just a parallel stylistic approach
changing role of agrippina in contrast with gemma claudia
nero’s wreath: spike with symbol of sun king in it - compare with the panegyrical representation of Augustus and others - here used to show how agrippina aided his rise to power
gemma constantiniana (great cameo of the hague to his homies)
controversial dating: generally said to be constantine because of the rougher style not being ‘julio-claudian’ enough
smith points to women’s hair as distinctly claudian
claudius with messalina in the chariot - represent victory over britain (cos he was obsessed with popping off about that)
IMPORTANT DETAIL: bejewelled frame added in the renaissance and the way the image cuts off in the middle of winged victories wings and on the clusterfuck of centaur legs suggests it has been cut down from original size
WHY HAS NO ONE SUGGESTED ITS CLAUDIUS RECUT TO BE CONSTANTINE THAT COULD WORK (jk defo claudius)
taglio vs cameo
taglio pressed into wax to create a relief image - used as official seals etc
cameo - purely decorative and the relief is already ready to look at
grande camee
50 AD (bit of a late date tbh)
shallow relief: quite flat and figures have more fore-shortening than protrusion
use of brown layers in sardonyx to denote hair and clothing details
centre: tiberius with mother livia, surrounding figures highly debatable
upper register: deceased ancestors? deified augustus with a lad in a phrygian cap - could be aeneas? literally impossible to tell
NOTE: julio-claudian families can be hard to figure out because they all look so similar
INTERPRETATION: more themes of dynasty, succession and deification of rulers - deification part more acceptable in a private elite audience, but also the presumption of knowledge/lack of defining features further implies an elite audience that doesn’t need as many overt visual cues/identifiers
silverware - bowls (technique)
comprised of inner line, ornate outer sheet, cast handles and feet.
inner liner - flat circular sheet of silver hammered into shape first from centre to create bow land the from inside of the divot, the latter over an anvil to raise the sides
annealing - heated and submerged in cold water repeatedly for harder silver totwprk with - shape defined by rotating and moulding
inscribed with weight of silver found on inner lining - careful control of silver usage (hidden behind the outer shall not meant to be seen)
decorative outer shell shaped from inside first (recuse/repousse) then defined more details from outside (chasing) - alternate until complete - like started as a gray or wax model - deepest elements of relief cast separately and added
handles and feet - separately cast (lost wax)
assembled - lip of inner and outer slide together - inner shell elevated over the outer
decorated with powdered gold and liquid mercury to accentuate elements of design - mercury evaporated to leave thin layer of gold
Boscoeale treasure (general background)
small town near pompeii, also buried by eruption of versuvius (hence why metal work survives and wasn’t melted down for other uses)
terminus ante quem: 79 AD
makes the contents relatively early for period of study - dubious whether some of the finds like the Augustus Cup would even fit unless its a retrospective commemoration after Augustus’ death - something to be mindful of
Augustus Cup, Boscoreale Treasure
silver skyphos with deep relief - DESTROYED DURING WW2 but have pictures from 1899
probably too early for this paper - terminus ante quem of 14 AD
Augustus receiving supplication of Gallic Chieftains, roman guise - NOT YET DEIFIED, offers clemency. classicising faces, classical composition (council of the gods from the parthenon type beat) - deep relief probably cast separately
skyphos makes it a more public facing private decoration - symposium and drinking parties - very political imagery for inside the home - maybe for elite visitors?
significant damage, outer shell ripped off, tarnishing and frayed edges - possible heat damage?
skeleton cup, boscoreale treasure
silver cast cup (skyphos), 79 AD (at latest)
found in vicinity of Augustus Cup - contrasting imagery
depicts skeletons enjoying festival or symposium activities - contrapossto ‘classicising’ poses on non-traditional figures - very unclassicising effect
skeletons identified by greek inscriptions - epicurus, zeno, sophocles, euripides
scholarship doing the trimalchio vision - must be freedman art cos it looks different
skeleton imagery rather frequent in Pompeii (momento mori etc) - in this sense more typical drinking party imagery
style of full figured skeletons still a little unusual - style is incredibly well executed but overall more humorous/witty
Caecelius Iucundus cup, Pompeii
early to mid first century AD
plain silver bowl with a bust protruding from the centre of the dish (republic aesthetic with realism and naturalism - looks like Caecilius Iucundus in the guise of a senator) - not dissimilar from his herm
bust cast separately
silver crane cantharus, Boscoreale
late first century BC, early 1st century AD
unusual iconography - depicts a flock of cranes, in some mosaics but otherwise quite rare imagery
potential explanation for the iconography of silverware
initial influx of silverware emblematic from military victories - the classicising and hellenising style of the first century comes from attempting to mimic the aesthetics of military triumph? (tiberius and augustus cup - explicitly celebrating political/military success)
but these styles were also just predominant across all media at the time.
domestic silverware - evolves more closely alongside fresco villa art - hence the iconographic similarities (sacro-idyllism, depicting statues in another medium etc)
silver lanx, slovakia
early 2nd century AD - found at a burial site - silver serving dish (lanx) - could be ceremonial in this context - lanx usually used for offerings etc but here is probably a spoil he was buried with
engraved and guilded with gold foil details
figures around the flange (rim) of the circular dish, rest of the dish is blank but for a scene right in the centre roundel
significant wear to central roundel- oath taking over a sacrificial victim (similar imagery on gold coins of roman republic ascribed to the Veturii) but elaborated - open air shrine, sacred tree, chieftain present - likened to the events of elder brutus and his sons’ consipiracy/death. decorative etching around the scene
flange: nude figures kneeling before togate men with a man behind them brandishing a weapon, scenes of violent combat and horseback fighting in front of a city, temples, herms and altars - typical for silver plates - no coherent story, republican/early imperial model
details in the background quite sacro-idyllic: columns surrounding a heroic nude statue in the distance and trees framing the scene
COMPARANDA: from carnac in egypt and berthouville in france - temples, bacchic motifs etc
ended up in slovakia as a spoil of war in the third century - wasn’t made there
STYLE: figures have a sculpted look - could be a hazard of the scale and medium more than a deliberate feature
silver phiale, berthouville, france
2nd century AD, found in a temple setting with jugs etc - dedication rather than functional domestic piece
silver phiale with dedication around the flange in gold - emblemata at centre
relief of mercury in a rural sanctuary with cult animals / sacred columns - reminiscent of roman villa fresco imagery (sacro-idyllic)
dedication: ‘julia sibyllia to mercury out of her own money’
etching/simpler embossing probably cheaper than the more elaborate stuff seen in pompeii etc
pose reminiscent of Apollo Sauroktonos, Praxiteles but not a direct copy - hermes with dionysus too
silver oceanus lanx, suffolk
4th century AD
relief decoration and subsidiary engraving - shield of achilles type decoration layout - appears in concentric circles
Head of Oceanus at the central roundel
surrounded by imagery of bacchic revelry on two elevations/ circles
lanx utilised for offerings and sacrifice
Tiberius Cup (skyphos), Boscoreale Treasure
some say late augustan but more likely early Tiberian (post 14 AD)
one in a pair of skyphoi with the augustan cup
first historical sacrifice in armour in Roman art we have
SIDE A: depicts a chariot procession, behind chariot are 4 tunic clad men with laurel wreaths - one carries two laurel branches and wears torques - award for distinguished military service
4 horses, relief representation of Victory attaching arms to a trophy - unknown female figure accompanies her
two men in chariot - grander identified as tiberius - in his role as ‘triumphator’, wearing toga, holding eagle topped sceptre - behind him is a young man in tunic crowning him
SIDE B: sacrifice of general before a temple - general himself already pretty damaged upon initial discovery of the cup - believed to be the triumphator from the other side - stands before tripod altar to offer sacrifice - carries a spear and dressed in ‘lorica’, 4 men bare chested perform the traditional slaughter
is it even a triumph without captives? probably not procession of the consul? then why not arriving on foot? theory the scene is copied from a public monument. general contrast with augustus cup where he offers clemency
SACRIFICE IN ARMOUR IS STANDARD IN ROMAN ART FOR AENEAS!!!! and him sacrificing his celestial arms is depicted on stuff from the late republic all the way to the second century
a lot of armed sacrifices depicted in the 3rd century (septimius severus)
