A Sense of Cultural Awareness and Roman Society - Essay Example

Section/# Sculpture and Power One of the more interesting aspects of Roman culture in and around the times of Imperial Rome is the way in which iconography was ultimately born out of a desire to transmit a sense of unity, oneness, awe, and identity within the populace. Although such a practice of iconography of the leadership was not new to politics, the Romans were able to take this to new heights and transmit to the populace the ubiquitous and near oppressive visage of those within the culture that the leadership saw as worthy of praise, adoration, and the general public’s attention. Whereas the Greeks and their progenitors had begun the tradition of iconizing their politicians, senators, and prelates in various means throughout early Western civilization, it was the Romans that were able to take this process to its ultimate end. As such, this brief analysis will consider the means by which Roman politics was changed as a result of this portraiture/”iconization” that took place as well as seeking to provide an early and convincing link between the way in which political portraiture and Christian iconography are related. One of the most powerful ways in which the changes to early Roman portraiture were related to society had to do with the fact that the powers within Roman government saw this is a useful means of adding political power (Tremble & Elsner 207). Ultimately, the visage of the a man of esteem as ubiquitous in the public’s eyes meant that this individual would experience an increase in the relative power that they could wield within society. At a time in which the news media was non-existent, where print journalism, tabloids, and television had yet to enter into the way in which politics and inter-personal disputes developed within governance, the representation of portraiture was a powerful means of placing the individual pointedly and perennially in front of the viewing public’s eyes. As a function of this, it was the belief and reality that these busts and sculptures added to name recognition and the subsequent political and economic clout that this entailed. What is perhaps most fascinating about these representations is how little they may deviate from our current understanding and appreciation for politics within our own society. Take for instance Figure 10-27 that was listed in the text. In this image, a very prominent, potent, and powerful figure is positioned in fine clothing positioned for action yet at the same time confident and secure in his surrounds as dominant within the field in which he exists. However, as a way to temper this male exhibition of supremacy and chauvinism, a small child is included at the lower left to indicate a sense of family understanding and tenderness within the otherwise pointedly commanding depiction. Moreover, though he is arrayed in his field armor and depicted as commanding the actions of a large number of invisible legions, his aristocratic air and raiment add a nuance of a philosopher general; further covering all possible approaches within which the citizen might seek to understand or identify with the image. Although it is not the student’s intent to criticize or demean the overall means by which such an image was related, it is nonetheless interesting to note the lack of change that exists between the times of the Romans and the current political climate that directs our own system (Potts 385). For instance, how ubiquitous is the suited lawyer/politician seen as dynamic, male, virile, willing to take on all the special interests and powers of the system; yet at the same time docile and home-minded as the political advertisement draws to a close exhibiting him at home on a farm, more than likely not his own, with his wife and family. In this way, the reader can come to a full and complete understanding of why the images that have been viewed and expounded upon within this brief analysis are still pertinent within the current context. Interestingly, rather than allowing for the ultra rich and powerful to become the only individuals whose image was recorded for posterity’s sake, the common people also placed a high emphasis on recording to the reality of life and death with depictions such as that which has been listed within the text in figure 10-7. By such a means, the old patriarch of a family could be immortalized and remembered in an era long before photography or even portrait painting had come into its own (Furstenberg 337). The sheer skill and expertise by which the craftsman was able to capture the essence of each physical detail attests to the indescribably skill and patience that these works must have been engaged with. Moreover, as a function of relating to the reader the power that these public exhibitions of character and dynamism had within society, this second example has been listed last within this analysis due to the fact that it was a direct result of the popularity and power of the first. Moreover, one can attempt to understand such an iconization within the private and poorer segments of society as an attempt to capture the same essence and immortality that the nobler classes had sought to establish in presenting the public with their own ubiquitous visages. Whereas the iconization and depiction of the power figures within the Roman way of life had a powerful and dynamic effect on the way in which the public engaged with their leadership, the depiction and representation of the average citizen and/or patriarchal head of a particular family had a powerful affect on the way in which society identified with one another, gained a sense of culture awareness, and ultimately instilled a new and expansive identity. Whereas it may seem convenient to understand these concepts from a detached perspective, the truth of the matter is that the way in which Roman society integrated with these norms and mores has a great deal of parallelism to the means by which our own society integrates with its own identity and continues to seek to encapsulate an understanding of political awareness via convenient and cliché patterns such as the ones indicated herein. Works Cited Furstenberg, Yair. "The View Of Idolatry And The Roman Political Conception Of Divinity." Journal Of Religion 90.3 (2010): 335-366. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. Potts, Alex. "Winckelmanns Construction Of History." Art History 5.4 (1982): 377-407. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. TRIMBLE, JENNIFER, and JA ELSNER. "Introduction: ‘If You Need An Actual Statue...’." Art History 29.2 (2006): 201-212. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. Read More