Rome: Art and Architecture - Research Paper Example

Rome: Art and Architecture The Colosseum, 70 CE The Colosseum is a ical architecture building. The building (also known as Flavian Amphitheatre) was constructed between 70-80 AD. Rather than being accredited with an architect, the construction of the Colosseum is accredited a number of emperors, amongst them Emperors Vespasian and Titus. The former initiated the construction of the Colosseum while the latter, who was the immediate heir, saw its completion. Over the next decades that followed the initial construction, Emperor Domitian saw the inclusion of other modifications (Kleiner 132). It is because of the family name of the three emperors who saw the construction that this classical building was baptized Flavian Amphitheatre. Upon its completion, the Colosseum has a capacity of over 50,000 people at any particular time. It stood at a height of over 45 meters. Being oval at the center, it measured a diameter of 87.5 meters from one end to the other. That was the longest diameter. The other diameter measured 54.8 meters. The building materials, which included locally quarried limestone and volcanic stones, were supplemented with concrete and other beatification stones. The piece of architecture has defied historical events and natural forces to assert its place even in the modern world. The Colosseum tells of a historical, cultural and political situation of the ancient world. During the time when the Colosseum was constructed, much of the ancient world was under the political leadership of Roman Empire. The Roman had conquered much of Europe all the way to Asia. It was a political period that came after the reign of Alexander the Great of Macedonia, though with not so much pomp and glory as the Macedonian Empire. With Rome as the political center of the ancient world, the Colosseum was a political social center where the political classes and the masses gathered for entertainment. The Colosseum defined the social life of citizens of ancient Rome. The building served as an execution center in a social manner. Those who faced criminal charges were set in mortal combat with fierce animals. Sometimes slaves were also paraded in a fight with soldiers or animals. Most of the times, gladiators was the common category of people who fought in the arena. It is important to note that slaves that had successive numbers of victory in the arena would eventually be set free. Such was the cultural nature of the Colosseum. The Colosseum does indeed convey both political power and religious belief of classical Roman Empire. Power relations were sometimes brokered during games. The highest political officer in the arena had the absolute right to make decision on the lives of entertainers fighting in the arena. Other nobles also attended the games as a demonstration of their firm political support for the emperor or the highest Roman official present. The entrances to the arena also pointed out to Roman belief on religion. One of the entrances was named after the Roman goddess of death known. Later, Roman Catholic Church later used the building in conducting the way of the cross. The way of the cross is a remembrance of the suffering of Jesus Christ on his way to being crucified. Therefore, one can say that the Colosseum served as a political center of power relations and affirmed classical religious belief in Rome. One of the interesting features about the building is its sheer huge size and capacity. Considering that it represents classical architecture, the Colosseum stands in power and stance many centuries since it was built. The design and the architecture with which every room and section was designed is commendable. It considered the realities of its functions, which included chivalry entertainments, which required chariots to make turns at high speed. Being oval served that purpose pretty well. The Roman Forum, 715 BCE – 476 The Forum is another piece of architecture that dates back to the ancient times. The Forum, rather than being seen as a single building, is a number of classical architecture buildings. It was a meeting place that brought together citizens of the Roman Empire. The Forum had temples such as Temple of Saturn and Vesta. Other structures that were a characteristic of The Forum included the Comitium where the Senate House and other administration offices were housed. The architects responsible for the construction of The Forum are not known. In terms of history, The Forum demonstrates the political power of ancient Rome in ancient world. One of the leaders, Julius Caesar, from whom the next heir was responsible for improvement of The Forum, was assassinated at The Forum. That was after he had conquered the world and was now returning to Rome. The Senate, which was power hungry, murdered him in the Comitium. His sister’s son, Octavio, who was also his adopted son, inherits the Kingdom and quells internal conflicts. He improves The Forum from stones to marbles and beautifies the buildings. Socially, The Forum also served as market place where commercial activities took place. Trade thrived at The Forum place (Kleiner 23). Matters of governance were also deliberated and voted for in the same. Like the Colosseum, The Forum also served to entertain visitors and citizens with a series of gladiator matches. People also gathered to listen to various speeches by leaders. It also had areas that served as open courts in which criminals were tried and verdicts passed. The place also served as a worship center as it had temples. Its very functions demonstrate power and religious beliefs. Therefore, one can say that in the aftermath of the reign of Cleopatra, The Forum served as a social and political center. What I find interesting about The Forum is the space and the architectural design of buildings and structure for various activities such as debate, voting, trade, trials and entertainment. This implies that The Forum was designed to meet all the needs of the city. Such was a bright planning put in action so that much of whatever was needed was provided. The traditional form of power relations and balance of power also impress me. The Senate being mentioned implies that the emperor had to assert his authority in consultation with the people’s representatives in the senate. The Pantheon, 27-25 BCE, 125 CE The Pantheon was built between 27-25 BCE as a classical architecture that defied many other architectural pieces all the way to renaissance period. The Pantheon was built in a style that moved made use of post-and beam construction as opposed to arched construction. Although many of the ancient buildings cannot be credited with a single architecture, it has become a common thing to attribute them to the leaders who oversaw their construction. In this case, Marcus Agrippa commissioned during the reign of Caesar Augustus who ruled between 27 BC and 14 AD. One may observe elements of classical architecture in The Pantheon, for instance, concentrating on the interior architecture than the external. The building is also designed with a rotunda section that is fitted with bronze doors. The building is principally made of porch and the circular main building. The porch on the interior was designed with four columns that stand in a line continuously so that between them there are three aisles created. There is very limited use of arches. The archways were designed for the walls and had very little use in the dome. The top of the dome was left open. The Pantheon stands as a symbol of religious and cultural building more than being a political architecture. Scholars point out that The Pantheon when translated implies “temple of all gods.” The building, therefore, was built as a temple dedicated to all Gods. In Roman religious beliefs, there were seven deities (Kleiner 156). The gods were named according to planets mostly and each one was associated with certain powers. Therefore, the building can be seen as an attempt by the political class to invoke the perceived powers of the gods on the society. Given that the ancient Roman society was founded in war in the aftermath of the fall of Troy, belief in the power of gods played a significant role. Therefore, politics could have been another motivation for the construction of The Pantheon. By being seen to be right with the gods of the land, political leaders derived support from the people. Many political leaders invoked the powers of the gods, sacrificed to the gods or built to them temples so that they could feel to have performed a sacred function that would attract the approval of the gods. In fact, all people from the weak one to the mighty ones revered gods in the Roman Empire. In the latter years, The Pantheon also served as a church under the orders of Pope Boniface IV. One can also observe that The Pantheon not only speaks of Roman Culture but also Greek culture. Observers have noted that the exterior of The Pantheon must have been inspired by Greek culture, particularly that the beautification of the colonnade. Although Roman Empire faced many wars, The Pantheon was built during a time when Rome enjoyed a relative period of peace. That period is commonly referred to as Pax Romana. Therefore, the building enjoyed a relative period of peace, though it was struck by lightning and suffered partial destruction by fire. The most interesting part of The Pantheon is the huge dome that was only rivaled in the renaissance period. For a long time, the dome stood in power and stance than any other dome. La Pietà, 1498-1500 La Pieta is one of the works of Michelangelo Buonarroti. The work of art is a sculpture of Mary the mother of Jesus holding the dead Christ after the crucifixion. The work is a renaissance piece of art though towards the beginning of the renaissance period. Many scholars have attributed the sculpture as a perfect link between classical art and renaissance. Michelangelo curved out the piece between 1498 and 1499 under the instructions from Jean de Bilheres, who served as a Cardinal in Rome. The work is curved from marble and measures 173 cm by 195 cm. It is located at St. Peter’s Basilica. In terms of proportionality, the artist made a great effort to observe proportionality, though it is visible that he does not meet that that perfectly. One can also observe that the artist curves out a young Mary as opposed to an old Mary by the time Jesus dies on the cross. His hands lie loosely hanging on his mother’s lap. The sculpture depicts the marks of the nails and the wound on his body where the soldiers had pieced. La Pieta tells much about the history, culture, and political situation of the time. In terms of history, the work of art points out to the history of the church, Jewish history and Roman Empire History. In terms of the history of the church, Jesus had just laid foundation for the early church that was started by his disciples and apostles. In the history of the church, it is a reminder of God’s salvation of humankind through his son Jesus. Jesus dying on the cross meant that salvation for humankind was now complete and that humankind would now find grace and mercy in God the creator in the name of Jesus Christ his son (Klein 305). As far as Roman Empire history is concerned, the death of Jesus Christ also points at a time when the Roman Empire ruled the world including Israel. Jesus was born during the reign of Emperor Caesar Augustine. Israel and Judah were provinces in the Roman Empire. In terms of Jewish history, the piece of art points out to a historical time when God fulfilled his promise about the coming of the messiah he promised them. However, Jesus did not come as a political Messiah during that time, but as a peaceful one. The piece of Art, La Pieta, conveys a religious ideology more than a political ideology. Through the death of Jesus Christ, Christians have hope in salvation and resurrection of the body at the end of times. Just as Jesus died and resurrected on the 3rd day, Christians believe that all the righteous people who dies when they had done the will of God will also one day resurrect into glory. Christians refer to that as the first resurrection. The sculpture also conveys power. Just before his crucifixion, Jesus had been taken before Roman rulers who sought to find out whether he was a king, a point he confirmed but explained. Therefore, the piece of art depicts divine power relations versus earthly power relations. One the features I find most interesting about the sculpture is the manner in which Michelangelo has depicted a young Mary. He does so probably to assert that Mary was already blessed with eternity and that she would not grow old. The Sistine Chapel Vault (1508-12) + Altar Wall (1536-42) The Sistine Chapel Vault and the Altar Wall in Vatican are works of renaissance art by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. The two works, painted in a relatively close period by one artist demonstrate the life of human beings from creation through history to death and ascension to heaven or descending to hell. Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to do the painting on the roof. One can observe that the painting has taken a renaissance approach where aesthetics was still alive in any works of art. One can also observe that elements of Romanticism art are also still evident as the two periods followed each other closely. For example, early works of art demonstrated a leaning to a kind of beauty defined by nudity. The Sistine Chapel Vault has paintings depicting creation of Adam as told in the Book of Genesis. The painting on the roof depicts Adam and Eve being sent out of the Garden of Eden, Noah and the floods, the early prophets and the ancestors of Jesus. The paintings have rich color schemes as a striking feature through which Michelangelo has achieved the element of realisms for the latter generations who may not identify with the paintings in their contemporary lives directly. Behind the alter, Michelangelo also painted the Alter Wall much later between 1536 and 1542. Scholars have observed that the painting of the Altar Wall demonstrates reflection of a man who was now getting old and concerned with the afterlife. The Altar Wall not only has paintings of the righteous being lifted to heaven from grave, but also the face of Michelangelo in what may be seen as a concern of his face. Michelangelo paints his face faintly on the figure of St. Bartholomew being skinned alive. He also portrays Jesus at the center, separating the righteous to his right and evil men to the left. These works of art by Michelangelo tells us about the history of the Catholic Church. Some scholars have observed that during this time, the Catholic Church was struggling with the onslaught of Martin Luther. Luther has attacked the church so strongly with his 95 theses to prove that the papacy had deviated from its commissioning as supported by the scripture. The Church, therefore, was trying to assert its authority to the faithful to avoid a big split. During that time, the church leadership was also clamoring for political control in the larger Italy. It sought to use religious authority to assert that claim. The painting reflects a religious ideology and power relations of the 16th century world. The existing religious ideology that was in question was the perceived totalitarianism of the old church. Rather than limit itself, the church then also controlled political spheres of lives of people. In fact, Pope Julius II who commissioned the painting was seen as more of a warrior than a gentle Pope. His ambitious was to unite renaissance Italy under the church leadership. The features of the painting that I find most interesting are the use of rich color scheme and spirituality expressed in images. The artist has used various colors to draw a distinction between the Biblical ages referred to in the paintings. The images and the various settings used also tell the artist’s story in such a way that relating the works with events in the Bible is made easy. Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill), 1538 – 1650 Piazza del Campidoglio which translates to Capitoline Hill, is also another work of the gifted Michelangelo. Michelangelo designed the piece of renaissance architecture in the year 1538. The building is strategically located close to the Forum and surrounded by Palazzi: Nuovo, Senatorio and de Conservatori. The architecture is a typical Italian Renaissance. The courtyard is designed to be elliptical and dotted with a sculpture. The stairway is also one of the striking features about the Piazza del Campidoglio. One can also observe features of renaissance architecture such as columns, semi-circular arches, lintels and pilasters. Unlike the medieval era, the renaissance period emphasized proportionality, symmetry and geometry. Therefore, Michelangelo designed Piazza del Campidoglio in a manner that demonstrates an orderly arrangement of pillars, spaces, curves and every measurement. Michelangelo faced thee problem of managing the topography of the land, which was not uniform. However, he managed to design the Piazza del Campidoglio in such a way that it not only achieved proper architectural design, but also achieved a commendable aesthetic value (Klein 191). Piazza del Campidoglio tells a different story about the history, culture and political situation of the time. Designed during the era of the Roman Empire, Piazza del Campidoglio was can be seen as an attempt by the church to seek closer working relationship with the political class. When Pope Paul III commissioned the construction of the building in 1536, it was because Roman Emperor Charles V was expected to visit in 1538. The Pope was concerned with what symbol they would present to depict a new Rome. Roman Empire in the 16th century had seen so much. The church’s power did not change much as the political power dwindled away. Therefore, the Pope can be seen to have been concerned with the creation of an identity that would demonstrate a balance and submission to the political authority. Whereas Piazza del Campidoglio serves as a public place, the fact that it was initiated by the church points out to a desire by the church to maintain the separation of religious and political powers by working separately in harmony. In the past, Roman Empire had had issues with the church, especially the church in Israel. Therefore, the history of Piazza del Campidoglio is one that points out to close cooperation while respecting the existing separate powers of the state and the church. The site does indeed reflect a particular political and religious ideology as has been mentioned slightly. For the Roman Empire, Piazza del Campidoglio, being a public space constructed by the church, reflects recognition of the political authority of the Empire. For the church, a religious ideology of peaceful coexistence can be seen to be a dominant approach that was considered in the decision to construct Piazza del Campidoglio. In fact, history has that the Pope’s intention was to please Charles V who was due to visit. The aspects of the site that I find most interesting is how Michelangelo used the limited space and slanting land to come up with the amazing piece of architecture and public space. The School of Athens, 1508-1511 School of Athens was a painting of the high renaissance. It was done by the artist Raphael between 1508 and 1511. The painting depicts a number of early thinkers in the school of Athens where they discussed idea. At the center of the painting are Plato and Aristotle. Raphael the artist depicts them at the center of the painting to demonstrate that they were the main architects or central figures early philosophy. In front of them is most likely Diogenes who was famously accredited with controversial philosophy as he termed himself the dog. One can observe the thinkers are taking notes, discussing or showing something. One of the thinkers in the foreground left is seen as engaging in deep contemplation. Apart from Plato and Aristotle, naming the other thinkers can only be inferred. In terms of art, the artist has employed the use of colors, shapes and lines to assign roles at the school. Other roles may not be so obvious although one can see that Plato and Aristotle have been given a higher role. They are depicted as walking in with their books as they engage in a discussion. In terms of historical, cultural and political situation of the time, one can deduce and attribute a number of events then. Historically, Raphael’s painting at the height of renaissance really depicts the rebirth of knowledge. Just like the books that Plato and Aristotle have held, the renaissance period was characterized by thirst for knowledge. It was a time when the society then was turning back to search for all written forms of knowledge. Therefore, Raphael’s painting captures that very essence with the painting of many renowned thinkers. As far as cultural situation of the time is concerned, the audience gets a picture of a cultural situation of Greek as opposed to the cultural situation of the entire renaissance period. The painting depicts an early culture in which the sages of the society were coming up with a form of knowledge that was later responsible for the foundations of democracy. Plato’s teachings about justice, rights and responsibility were emerging as new form of knowledge on which the society was to base its culture and values much later. Therefore, one can say that Raphael’s painting of The School of Athens is a depiction of a culture that did not tolerate justice and rights to everyone in the society. The society had a culture of relying on one’s opinions on matter before voting on whether the matter was right or wrong. People were swayed differently as was the case in Plato’s verdict, though much later. The political situation that the painting depicts can only be the Greek political situation. It was a political situation where the society was socially stratified. Only the nobles and the royals had access to higher administrative powers. The rest of the citizens were required to serve in lower positions by virtue of their birth. Those who showed exemplary achievement especially in war, could be recognized and move up the social class ladder. Rather than reflect a particular political or religious ideology, the painting of The School of Athens reflect the foundation of ancient and modern knowledge. The aspect of the painting that I find most interesting is how the artist paints each of the thinkers. Each one of them is depicted as either engaging in a discussion, demonstration or contemplation. St. Peter’s Basilica + Piazza, 4th century- 18th century St. Peter’s Basilica is known as Basilica San Pietro whereas St. Peter’s Square is known as Piazza San Pietro. It transcends many historical periods of architecture from classical to renaissance. A number of personalities such as Donato Bramate, Gian L. Bernini, Carlo Maderno and Michelangelo designed the Basilica. The building is also the burial place of St. Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, after whom it is named (Klein 299). St. Peter’s Basilica was originally constructed in the 4th century. However, the Basilica was reconstructed from 1506 to 1626. The initial architects had plans but which they did not see implemented completely as they passed away or were replaced. Therefore, St. Peter’s Basilica is a contribution of the works of different architects. One of the striking features at St. Peter’s Basilica is the dome. The dome is made in a using concrete and pressure exerted by materials reduced by opting to use light volcanic stones. Michelangelo and della Porta’s design is what took shape of what one may now term St. Peter’s Basilica. The Dome is prominent and strengthened with a double layer of bricks. One may observe that although the building was completed during the renaissance period, the narthex and portals that characterize the inside alleys, corridors and other features strongly point out to Romanesque style. For instance, there is a long narthex and a long barrel vault decorated highly. The design is also such that it has 5 portals. Amongst these, three of them lead into the Basilica. Over time, many modifications had been made. St. Peter’s Square or the Piazza, also has a different style of architecture though not as complex as the Basilica. The Piazza is elliptical and serves as a meeting point for congregation. It is flanked on either side by colonnades that move steadily to the Basilica. The entry is marked with 4 columns. Much of the architecture used is Baroque. The Basilica and the Piazza do tell a long cultural history of the church. It is a religious culture handed over from the time of Peter the apostles of Jesus down to other generations. During that time until now, the Papacy was handed down from one generation to the next. One can observe that St. Peter’s Basilica and Piazza were constructed with different architectural plans since each Pope enjoyed unquestionable executive power to influence the design and finishing. It also points out the separation of Vatican as a city-state. The Pope made decisions affecting Vatican City as the executive leader of the city-state. The Basilica does convey both earthly powers and divine powers. Since St. Peter was the disciple of Jesus who was commissioned to lead the church of Christ, and given that he was the first Pope, there have been arguments that Papacy leadership is divine power as Jesus himself commissioned it. The Protestant wave defied that power in the wake of questions about indulgence. Apparently, selling of indulgences had been adopted to finance the construction of the Basilica. Some of the features that I find most interesting are the internal decorations and sculptures. St. Peter’s Basilica is almost like a museum of its own. Sculptures of various saints don the inside of the Basilica. “David” by Michelangelo (1501-1504) and Bernini’s David (1623-1624) “David” is a renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo. The sculpture stands seventeen feet tall as a marble statue. It was unveiled in 1504 and now stands outside in Florence close to the Palazzo Della Signoria. The statues is nude, standing facing Roma with what many scholars have called a “warning gaze” probably because of the political conflicts between the Florentine City-State and Rome. What remains outside Palazzo Della Signoria is now a replica. The original piece had since then been moved to Academia Gallery by the year 1873. The figure represents a youthful and masculine David. Like many renaissance sculptures, “David” stands in nude. Many works of Michelangelo, which he sculpted or painted while he was still young, were mostly in the nude. However, many other works that Michelangelo worked on in his old age were clothed however scanty the clothing was. Contrasted with Bernini’s David (1623-1624), the first thing that one notices is that Bernini’s David has is not exposed in the nude, an emerging trend in baroque art. Both works have been done with commendable proportionality unlike the La Pieta where Michelangelo does not quite meet proportionality. In La Pieta, the dead Jesus on her mother’s lap deviates slightly from proportionality. Bernini’s David and Michelangelo’s David are both proportional. Through the above works of art presented by Michelangelo, one gets to understand the political temperature of the Florentine city-state. The sculpture “David” tells of a volatile power relations between Florentine city-state and the Roman Empire in the last days of its glory. The fact that “David” stern eyes are positioned facing Rome depicts some discontentment which can only be political than social or economic. The sculptures, therefore, convey power relations. The feature of the sculpture that I find interesting is the proportionality that the artists achieve in Michelangelo’s “David” as well as Bernini’s David. The unspoken message that Michelangelo seems to deliver to Rome with a mere curving of a stern face is another major achievement that tells of a long history of sour relations. It also celebrates the beauty of creation as was the characteristics of renaissance art. Bernini’s David brings out realism in Baroque art. Bernini curved it out in a bent position that depicts movement. The face also demonstrates the mood as that time when he prepared to let loose the stone from the string. Therefore, it is observable that baroque art emphasized on emotions and reality much more than renaissance art. Work Cited Kleiner, Fred S. A History of Roman Art, Enhanced Edition. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Read More