The Etruscans

Question 1

Model of an Etruscan temple

Answer 1

Artist: Unknown
Culture/period: Modern
Location: Università di Roma, Rome
Medium: Wood, terracotta, mud brick
Technique: Freestanding sculpture/post-and-lintel
Function: To provide a semi-accurate depiction of what Etruscan temples may have looked like
Audience: Visitors/worshippers
Cultural context: While borrowing some architectural and artistic conventions from their Greek neighbors, Etruscan temples were markedly different from their southeastern counterparts. The Etruscans wanted to set themselves apart from their neighbors and establish their own unique architectural style, which they are still known for today. Although most Etruscan temples didn’t survive the passage of time, the Roman architect Vitruvius included a chapter on Etruscan architecture in his treatise, allowing us to fill in most of the missing blanks.
Significance: Unlike the brightly painted, marble Greek temples, Etruscan temples were made out of wood and mud brick, with most of the statuary, which was located on top of the roof instead of the pediment, being made from terracotta. Etruscan temples also only had a single entrance consisting of widely spaced columns, a high podium, and deeply set porch, which stands in stark contrast to most Greek temples, which looked similar from all sides, had dozens of columns placed close together, and could be entered from anywhere. Moreover, Etruscan temples typically contained three cellas dedicated to their primary gods, the Etruscan counterparts of Zeus, Hera, and Athena as opposed to the single cella in most Greek temples. The columns used were also quite similar to Doric order columns on many Greek temples, but set themselves apart by being unfluted and having a base, creating what we now call the Tuscan order.

Question 2

Sarcophagus with reclining couple

Answer 2

Artist: Unknown
Culture/period: Etruscan
Location: Cerveteri, Italy (Necropolis)
Medium: Painted terracotta
Technique: Freestanding/high relief sculpture
Function: To store the ashes of the deceased and serve as a commemorative burial object.
Audience: Mourners, the dead
Cultural context: Instead of burying their dead like the Greeks, most Etruscans opted to be cremated and then placed in tombs akin to traditional Etruscan houses fitted with all the necessities, which recalls the way in which Egyptians buried their dead in tombs meant to serve as the deceased’s new home in the afterlife. This sarcophagus depicts a husband and wife dining together at a banquet or symposium, with the woman likely once having held a perfume flask or pomegranate and the man, an egg. This is odd because, at the time, it was only men who were allowed to dine at symposia, with the only women able to be in attendance being prostitutes or enslaved girls. This demonstrates a vast difference b/w Etruscan and Greek cultures, the former of which was far more egalitarian than the latter.
Significance: There is no Greek parallel to this sarcophagus, which is far more expressive and dynamic than the statuary coming out of Archaic Greece at the time. It’s possible that their smiles could be an adaptation of the Archaic smile, which simply signals life, or a genuine, happy smile. The sarcophagus also serves as a direct antithesis to the stiff, formal figures common in Egyptian funerary statuary. However, similar to Greek and Egyptian statues, the anatomy of the two figures isn’t entirely natural, with the way they’re seated being not at all in line with how someone would typically recline, and their features also aren’t totally naturalistic. The composition is also highly intimate, with the husband and wife being placed very close together and appearing as if they’re in the midst of a riveting conversation.

Question 3

Etruscans

Answer 3

a people who inhabited a federation of city-states located in a central region of Italy then known as Etruria; the Romans would later adopt many features of Etruscan culture after conquering them

Question 4

podium

Answer 4

platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings; common fixture in Etruscan temples, which had very high podiums

Question 5

terra cotta

Answer 5

reddish, hard-baked clay fired at low temperatures; commonly used by the Etruscans in the place of stone or marble