DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0708
CHAPTER XXXVI.
SCULPTURAL MONUMENTS IN THEIR HISTORICAL SEQUENCE, FROM THE
GOLDEN AGE UNDER AUGUSTUS (29 B.C.-14 A.D.) TO THE FALL OF ART
UNDER CONSTANTINE (313-337 A.D.).
Roman Portraiture. — Heroic Portraits. — Portraits of Ladies and Others.— Augustan Age of Portrait-
ure.— Altar of Peace. — Portrait-Statue of Augustus. — Reliefs from Claudius' Arch. — Arch of
Titus. — Trajan's Forum.— Sculptures of Trajan's Arch.— Unfinished Statue of Barbarian Captive.
— Trajan's Column. — Powerful Details, but Lack of Nobility of Style. — Relief of Nike. — The
Brescia Nike. — Hadrian's Liberal Patronage of Art. — Antinous Relief in Villa Albani. — Use of
Hard and Costly Materials. — Decline in the Time of Antonines. — Illustrated by Portraits. —
Apotheosis of Antoninus. — Activity in Time of Marcus Aurelius. — Equestrian Statue of Marcus
Aurelius. — Greek and Roman Sarcophagi. — Amazon Relief. — Rapid Decline after Commodus.—
Arch of Septimius Severus. — Constantine's Arch. — Sarcophagus of Helena. — Decline in Rome.
— Art Tradition in Provinces.
Having cast a glance at the numerous uses to which sculpture was applied,
and at the repetitions of ideal subjects and types received from olden times, as
well as at the names of the few sculptors preserved to us, we may turn to the
historic and portrait art of Roman times, which, because more accurately to be
dated, may be treated in more strictly chronological sequence. This art rises
and falls with the degree of political prosperity and with the healthful condi-
tion of things. Thus, under Augustus, it enjoys a high summer. After him
it sinks, but rises again in a different form under Trajan. In Hadrian's time,
great efforts were made to bring art up again, and with a certain degree of
success. Under the Antonines it seems also to have enjoyed a feeble summer,
but after that in Rome sinks rapidly.
Portraiture, both ideal and iconic, had always appealed most strongly to the
Romans. Their iconic male statues fall roughly into two classes, of which
the first represented the individual in the costume of daily life, wrapped in the
toga,—staticce togatce. Since the Romans were exceedingly punctilious in the
fall of this capacious garment, it was possible for the sculptors to keep toga
statues on hand, to which a portrait-head was added as desired. Hence it is,
doubtless, that the forms very seldom show any thing like individuality, that
great charm in Greek portrait-sculpture. The second class, statuce thoracal^,
represented the warlike Roman in armor, sometimes addressing his army,
sometimes on horseback, or in a chariot. For portraiture, where the person
670
SCULPTURAL MONUMENTS IN THEIR HISTORICAL SEQUENCE, FROM THE
GOLDEN AGE UNDER AUGUSTUS (29 B.C.-14 A.D.) TO THE FALL OF ART
UNDER CONSTANTINE (313-337 A.D.).
Roman Portraiture. — Heroic Portraits. — Portraits of Ladies and Others.— Augustan Age of Portrait-
ure.— Altar of Peace. — Portrait-Statue of Augustus. — Reliefs from Claudius' Arch. — Arch of
Titus. — Trajan's Forum.— Sculptures of Trajan's Arch.— Unfinished Statue of Barbarian Captive.
— Trajan's Column. — Powerful Details, but Lack of Nobility of Style. — Relief of Nike. — The
Brescia Nike. — Hadrian's Liberal Patronage of Art. — Antinous Relief in Villa Albani. — Use of
Hard and Costly Materials. — Decline in the Time of Antonines. — Illustrated by Portraits. —
Apotheosis of Antoninus. — Activity in Time of Marcus Aurelius. — Equestrian Statue of Marcus
Aurelius. — Greek and Roman Sarcophagi. — Amazon Relief. — Rapid Decline after Commodus.—
Arch of Septimius Severus. — Constantine's Arch. — Sarcophagus of Helena. — Decline in Rome.
— Art Tradition in Provinces.
Having cast a glance at the numerous uses to which sculpture was applied,
and at the repetitions of ideal subjects and types received from olden times, as
well as at the names of the few sculptors preserved to us, we may turn to the
historic and portrait art of Roman times, which, because more accurately to be
dated, may be treated in more strictly chronological sequence. This art rises
and falls with the degree of political prosperity and with the healthful condi-
tion of things. Thus, under Augustus, it enjoys a high summer. After him
it sinks, but rises again in a different form under Trajan. In Hadrian's time,
great efforts were made to bring art up again, and with a certain degree of
success. Under the Antonines it seems also to have enjoyed a feeble summer,
but after that in Rome sinks rapidly.
Portraiture, both ideal and iconic, had always appealed most strongly to the
Romans. Their iconic male statues fall roughly into two classes, of which
the first represented the individual in the costume of daily life, wrapped in the
toga,—staticce togatce. Since the Romans were exceedingly punctilious in the
fall of this capacious garment, it was possible for the sculptors to keep toga
statues on hand, to which a portrait-head was added as desired. Hence it is,
doubtless, that the forms very seldom show any thing like individuality, that
great charm in Greek portrait-sculpture. The second class, statuce thoracal^,
represented the warlike Roman in armor, sometimes addressing his army,
sometimes on horseback, or in a chariot. For portraiture, where the person
670