Women and Art in Ancient Rome

Women and Art in Ancient Rome

Hannah, Anna and Issy

art

The Colosseum (Empire)

• Built under Emperor Vespasian for entertainment

• Hosted public spectacles such as; animals, battle reenactments, dramas, mock sea battles, executions, and gladitorial games

• The basic pattern is repeated and much of the rooms are not easy visible to the naked eye

• Proportioned - everything is the right size

• Symmetrical - at one point (crumbled and missing parts now)

• Order - everything is where it should be

• Balance - physically balanced and everything is the same size

Julius Caesar (republic-empire)

• helped transform Roman

Republic into Roman Empire

• Roman General

and Statesman

• Sculpture shows him with a

baton and laurel wreath

• Symbolize victory over opponents

• Shows him at his moments of victory

• he's standing alone which

ultimately happens

• Symmetry - is reflective

• proportioned - everything

is the right size

• order - everything is

where it should be

• balance - actual balance

and nothing is wrong in

the body

Temple of Portinus (Republic)

• dedicated to Roman God of rivers and seaports

• on the Banks of Tiber

• has a high porch (once faced river and free-standing columns

• temples were built to honor gods

• rome mirrored greece

• symmetrical - columns/roof/stairs

• proportioned - everything is the right size

• order - everything is where it should be

• balance - everything is the same size and is physically balanced

Capitoline Wolf (empire)

• inspired upon the founding of Rome

• she-wolf is the symbol of Rome because she raised the founders

• symmetry - body of wolf is symmetrical but the two boys underneath are not

• proportioned - everything is to the right proportion except the boys appear to be a lot smaller than normal

• order - everything is in the right place

Women

• Men did not want to give equality to women because they believed it would lead to female superiority

Oppian Law

Put in place to get rid of female luxuries

Kept women from riding in horse-draw carriages in the city or in places within one mile of the city

Kept women from wearing clothes that had multiple colors or patterns

Kept women from owning more than half an ounce of gold

Women could not wear gold or purple

• They needed to have a guardian with them at all times

• Men believed they could do anything they wanted to women

• This can be shown through the rape of the Sabine women.

• Women were not involved with politics

• Women could not make laws

• Women could not become priests

• Women could not participate in wars

• The job of women was to give birth, so that their children would be naturally born

• Women were praised because of their job as child bearer

• The male partner and the female partner's father decided on the marriage-the wife had no say

• Women could not marry a second time, without the permission of their father

• Women could not divorce because of adultery, while men could

• It was okay for men to have affairs with slaves, but women could not

• They could not talk to other women's husbands

• Women were punished for adultery, while men were not

• If women divorced their husbands for reasons other than the approved reasons, then they would be sent to an island

• After the Empire was created, equality for women was attempted