Roman Art

Roman Art Murals, large picture painted directly on the wall. Often found in wealthy homes, disliked hanging paintings. Landscapes and cityscapes suggested a world beyond the wall.

Roman Art cont… MOSAIC: Tiny pieces of glass or stone, organized to create patterns and imagery. Roman buildings had mosaic floors Very geometric and symmetrical.

Mt. Vesuvius Volcano erupted in A.D. 79 Buried the city of Pompeii in thick volcanic ash. 1700 years later the ancient city’s still fully intact. The murals helped us understand their culture.

Concrete Critical building material helped expedite the construction process Romans were the first to make the most use of concrete. With the use of the arch and concrete, Romans were able to construct buildings on a large scale.

Roman Arch Rounded arch improved post and lintel system Able to support wider gap, allowing more light in.

Aqueducts System that carried water from mountain streams into cities by using gravitational flow Arches were places beside one another to support each other and carry weight to the ground.

Pantheon Influenced by Greek architecture. Temples utilized columns for decoration over support. Pantheon began as Temple for Roman gods, later converted to Christian church.

Pantheon

Colosseum Used for public entertainment Seated 50,000 people It could be flooded for navel battles Thousands of athletes would be dragged off by a metal hook a day One of the worlds largest structures; its efficient layout has inspired present-day stadiums

Illuminated Manuscripts Became popular in 800s All books copied by hand by monks Decorated pages with delicate miniature paintings done in silver, gold and rich colors

Illuminated Manuscripts cont… Often illustrated Gospels with 4 evangelists. Illustrations were simple and familiar Church was center for art and learning; the art taught and inspired people in their faith

Illuminated Manuscripts cont… Manuscripts – for people who could read Illustrations – for people who could not read

Gothic Churches Gothic time period between 12th and 15th century Churches were more light and graceful, less heavy and solid Structures were now able to contain many windows and still strong enough to support roofs The pointed arch and flying buttress enables builders to erect slender, soaring Gothic cathedral

Gothic Architecture Invention of pointed arches allowed entry ways to be wider Flying Buttress – a support brace that counteracts the outward thrust of an arch This system allowed for spaces in walls for large stained glass windows

Stained Glass Stained glass contained bright colors reminiscent to those of manuscript pages Contain stories depicting Christianity Rose window is a defining feature in gothic cathedrals.

Notre Dame Most famous cathedral located in Paris, France, where Gothic Architecture began.