Ancient Rome
The image of a person and a city works as an instrument of memory and public power.
Key ideas
Roman culture reworked Greek models, but developed its own types of portraiture, historical relief and urban architecture. Age features in a portrait could express dignity and experience. Imperial images were disseminated through statues and coins.
Looking deeper
Arches, vaults and concrete allowed the construction of complex spaces. House paintings created the illusion of architecture and views. Roman art should not be reduced to copying: the choice, combination and repurposing of images changed their meaning in different parts of the empire.
Pantheon in Rome; Pompeii paintings; Trajan's Column.
Find the work in the museum's official catalog and start with a description of the visible details.Compare an official portrait and a coin: what is preserved when the image is reduced?
External educational material or museum catalogue. The above review is not a literal translation of the source.