ARTH 361 | Art and Architecture of Ancient Rome

This course introduces selected monuments of the Etruscan and Roman civilizations from ca. the 8th c. BCE to the 4th c. CE. Through careful analysis of artworks, the course traces the emergence, flourishing, and eventual disappearance of the Etruscan civilization in Northern Italy in the 8th-3rd centuries BCE and follows the spectacular development of the city-state of Rome into the vast Roman Empire dominating the Mediterranean and Western Europe. Works of art are examined with particular attention to their original function, context, and intended audience, and are presented from a range of methodological perspectives. Topics of special interest include: interactions between the Greek, Etruscan, Egyptian, and Roman artistic traditions; copying; imperial art and visual propaganda; images of women; art of the non-elite; material culture of urban amenities (e.g., baths, arenas); material culture of religion; art in the domestic sphere; funerary monuments; development of Roman painting and mosaic styles; art of the provinces.