Looking at the Roman Age Through Art - Essay Example

Cameo Portraying Emperor Claudius as the god Jupiter is made from sardonyx that lines the shape of a Roman male believed to be the subject, Emperor Claudius. The man is shown standing naked, covered by only a piece of cloth that is wrapped around his private part, with the end of the cloth anchored to his left arm. He holds a staff in his left hand and a vvfukupolk in his right hand. The image reflects the Roman culture shown through the man’s way of dressing. The man is portrayed standing on a branch where an eagle sits, looking toward him. Most of the lines used are curved to trace the natural lines and curves of the images. For instance, the rod and the branch are made up of straight lines that follow the thickness of the subjects in proportion to the other figures. With the material used, the lines are long and continuous, giving details to the shapes of the subjects. However, the artist also used short lines to define the shoulder, chest, rib, and abdominal parts of the man. Short, curved lines are used on the feather parts of the bird as well as the cloth wrapped around the man. The clothing and the bird are created in a manner that they show seemingly real three-dimensional features that make the images look like they have rough textures. However, since the material used to create the images is sardonyx, the images are smooth. The artwork has a dark background that creates no sense of depth for the picture. Aside from the dark hue, the artist also used the natural color of sardonyx and bronze-like color for some parts of the bird’s feather and the cloth which is emphasized by the color of the frame that is made from gold, enamel, and pearls.

Another artwork in the exhibit is the “Bust of Silenius” which is a three-dimensional sculpture showing the head and chest parts of a man whose one breast is uncovered. The artwork is made from bronze and it shows some historical information during the time of its creation just like the artwork discussed above. Contrary to the portrayal of the emperor, Silenius looks like an aged and stout man.