Roman Architecture, Painting, and Mosaics: Key Features

Roman Architecture

The Romans adopted Greek architectural elements, but these elements merged with those of the Etruscans and the Near East (Mesopotamia, Persia, etc.).

In addition to the three Greek orders, they used two others:

• The Tuscan: This order comes from Etruscan art and resembles the Doric, but the shaft is smooth without edges and placed on a pedestal or podium.
• The Composite: The most characteristic feature is that it mixes the Ionian spiral scrolls with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian in the capital. The shaft can be smooth and sharp and is usually also placed on a podium.

Roman buildings used other elements such as the arch, or semicircular arch, and the vault. These two elements allowed for a more even distribution of weight on the walls, permitting the construction of buildings of great size. To build a barrel vault, a wooden frame called formwork was made first.

The Roman Temple

The Roman temple resembles the Greek temple in its entirety: rectangular or circular, gable roof, triangular pediment, decorated capitals, etc., but with some differences:

• The temple was built on a pedestal, and steps were placed only on the front, the only entrance to the temple.
• It does not consist of three rooms but a single one (the nave).
• The columns are usually attached to the wall. Ornaments are usually found on the front wall, which are exempt. This form is called pseudoperipteral.

The Pantheon

The Pantheon was built in the 2nd century AD, during the time of Emperor Hadrian, but on the site of another temple built during the time of Emperor Augustus. It rose in honor of all the gods. Its circular plan is 44 meters in diameter, while the front retains the classic elements of the temple. The interior displays a series of columns and pillars with niches in which the sculptures of divinities were placed. In the center of the dome is an opening called an oculus, 9 meters in diameter. The interior of the dome is decorated with a series of moldings.

Painting and Roman Mosaics

Thanks to the archaeological discoveries of the domus, or houses for Roman patricians, we know what painting was like during the Roman civilization. They painted on walls; that is, they used fresco painting. They chose mythological themes and scenes of everyday life. Buildings often had architectural backgrounds, colored with vivid colors and a certain elegance and naturalness. Still lifes were also common, with fruit, animals, flower baskets, etc.

They also worked hard on mosaics. The mosaics covered the floors of homes and were made with small colored pieces called tesserae that then came together like a puzzle to form a composition, sometimes of great complexity due to the variety of characters. It seemed more like a tapestry. Although it was generally placed on the floor, it could sometimes cover the walls of housing in areas such as baths and other public buildings.