About Roman Sculptures

Roman sculptures are generally sculptures from ancient Rome. They are heavily Greek-inspired, due to the large presence of Greek slaves brought into Roman households following Rome's military conquests. The characteristics and uses of sculptures in Rome changed over the course of Rome's history.

Prior to the Greek influence, the Roman style of sculpture was Etruscan. The origins of the Tuscan-based Etruscans are uncertain, but most historians believe they come from somewhere in Asia Minor. Their sculpture has a Greek tone to it, although Etruscan art was influenced by trade with neighboring civilizations. Their statuary were primarily bronzes and terracotta and were created most for religious purposes.

Roman portrait sculptureMuch of Roman sculpture was what was known as "portrait sculpture." This was mostly used for burials to commemorate those who had died. Tombs would be decorated with portrait reliefs of the dead and portrait busts would often be included in the columbaria niches, along with the cremated remains of the deceased. These busts were generally sculpted from marble, bronze or terracotta. During the Republic period, many portrait statues of famous military commanders or political leaders were ordered by their peers to commemorate a political or military achievement that brought glory and honor to Rome. Under the rule of the emperors, however, statues were almost entirely controlled by the Emperor and were mostly of himself, his family or his favorites. It was not unusual for sculptures to be destroyed when their subject fell out of favor.

Despite the Greek influence, there were some major differences between the Greek and Roman sculptures. While the Greeks idealized their subjects, purifying the faces and streamlining the lines of the body, Romans were very concerned with reality. They portrayed every flaw and imperfection, trying to make it look as realistic and as much like the subject as possible. It was not unusual for a Greek statue to portray a theme or an idea, whereas the Romans tended to sculpt real people that were important to them, such as politicians, military commanders and distinguished, wealthy patrons.

Ancient Roman sculpture was generally not complete without colorful painting, inlay, silvering and most often gilding. These materials often did not survive over time, however, and many of the examples that exist today have only traces of their decoration remaining. This use of several mediums died off and was not rediscovered until the period of the Italian Renaissance. It was followed by a period of monochromatic sculptures, mostly done in marbles, particularly white marble.

After the fall of the Roman Empire around 476 A.D. and the rise of what is often called the Byzantine Empire, much of the ancient Roman sculpture was destroyed. Some were vandalized in attacks by sacking armies, and some were destroyed or altered as areas were brought under Christian influence. The marble was burned to make lime and many priceless bronze statues were melted down for scrap. Although a great number of sculptures were destroyed, a large quantity of quality pieces still remain. Some of the more famous sculptures are the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the relief sculptures on Trajan's Column and the Column of Marcus Aurelius, and busts of the various Caesars, particularly Julius, Octavian and Augustus.