Roman Urbanism, Portraiture & Relief Art

Roman Urban Planning: Grid System & City Layout

In their new towns, the Romans adopted a grid system. Its origin lay in the structure of a military camp, enabling rapid army movement in any direction. This rational structure functionally distributed space, allowing inhabitants to easily orient themselves and navigate the streets.

The city was structured around two main axes: the decumanus (east-west) and the cardo (north-south). From these two axes, the centuriation or division of parcels developed, with each city block typically containing 100 properties. At the intersection of both axes, the most representative public buildings were located: the forum (a large central square, serving as a meeting and recreation center), and surrounding it, temples, the basilica, and the theater.

Roman Portraiture: Realism & Influence

Roman portraiture is deeply indebted to Greek sculpture. In many cases, Roman artists reproduced Greek compositions and forms, even directly copying works that have survived to us through these Roman reproductions. The faithful realism of Roman portraiture, however, was significantly influenced by Etruscan culture.

The Etruscan tradition of creating death masks from wax or plaster, taken directly from the faces of the deceased, profoundly influenced Roman portraiture. This tradition, linked to ancestor worship, was perpetuated in Rome and explains the striking physical and gestural realism of Roman portraits. Subsequently, these masks, initially reserved for patricians, were extended to commoners. Stronger and more durable materials like terracotta were also used. Portraits of emperors and those tied to the court often served a propagandistic purpose.

Roman Relief Sculpture: Narrative & Technique

Roman relief sculpture is primarily found on memorial buildings such as triumphal arches and columns. It possesses a strong narrative sense, commemorating and recounting historical exploits.

Key Technical Aspects:

• Exceptional detail and accuracy in modeling.
• Perfect realism and the ability to utilize different perspectives for figures, whether placed in high relief, mid-relief, or low relief.
• Appreciable compositional rhythm achieved through a rich gestural narrative, imparting mobility and dynamism.