Paper Sample: Compare and Contrast the Early Patrician to the Portrait Bust of Caracalla

Introduction

The Romans borrowed the Greek way of art. However, Roman art did not gain as much popularity as Greek art because the Roman artisans were not very talented. Also, people preferred Greek art. The Romans used different art criteria to distinguish their art from Greek art; they adopted a higher level of Verism, which refers to an exaggeration of naturally existing features (Becker, 2014). Years later, the rulers began using these arts for politics; the images portrayed association with the military and depicted victory in wars. Roman art changed over time and emphasized the emotional aspect of the portraits. This work aims to compare and contrast two skills; the Patrician head and the Caracalla bust.

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The Patrician Head

The Patricians were high-ranked individuals in the Roman Empire; they were highly educated and wealthy. According to Becker (2014), today, the portrait is kept in Palazzo Torlonia, Italy. However, it dates back to the mid-first century. The name of the person depicted in this sculpture is not known. The Patrician head is an image of a male ruler with a hooked nose and strong cheekbones, a sign of Nobility in the Roman Empire. The Patrician head has profound wrinkles and folds, a symbol of wisdom, resolution, and seriousness. This image has grimacing brows and sunken skin, showing old age but in an exaggerated way, a clear indication that the Romans admired and respected old age. The Romanians aimed to showcase their traditions in human nature. The vivid representation of the facial features depicts the period when he was more powerful; knowledge and experience are associated with old age. This image has a blank facial expression and shows no emotion whatsoever. The Patrician Head shows that the Romans were proud of their ancestry and heritage.

The Portrait Bust of Caracalla

Caracalla is one of the cruel and confident rulers of the Roman Empire. He ruled in around 200 AD. He is represented in a marble bust that is dated back to 200 AD. Bartolomeo Cavaccepi is the sculptor who carved this bust. This bust was Cavaccepi's masterpiece; it is one of his rare original works. The artist was famous for reinstating antiques instead of original works. This artist showcased his classicism proficiency by how professionally drilled his work, like when he carved Caracalla's short hair and beards. In this portrait, Caracalla wears a toga and Cuirass, a distinguishing sign of the military in Ancient Rome. His head is slightly turned to the right, focusing on something that seemingly is unacceptable. The image has curled short hair in its round skull. His jaws are tight, and his mouth is closed, giving way for two lines at the corners, representing his viciousness. The Caracalla portrait was named 'Tivoli,' a place of its discovery. This image depicts the princely characteristics. However, they are simple and lack exaggeration, unlike other portraits. In around 1700s, Caracalla's image was famous for a bust in the Farnese collection in the Roman Empire and Naples. The artist carved his framework of these sculptures in the group. Caracalla's main intentions were to trade for the English gatherers for their ancient galleries considering that it was sculpted when sculpted at the time when they bought the arts.

Compare and Contrast the two Artworks

The Patrician head is an older adult's image, a sign of wisdom and knowledge, while the Caracalla bust represents a young, energetic man. The art changed over time; the Ancient Roman Empire valued their morals as expressed through a man with profound wrinkles and folds instead of perfect images of young, energetic, and athletic men. The Patrician head presents the politics of ancient Rome (Kuesel, 2019). Rome was ruled by the Patricians who were highly educated and lived luxurious lives, which later allied with the wealthy Plebeians, and the empire eventually collapsed. Caracalla bust is also a representation of his reign; the image depicts his appreciation and connection to the military. He has a vicious facial expression, his hair is short and curly, just like the soldiers of his time, and he is putting on military attire. The Patrician head shows no sentiment or vitality while the Caracalla bust is full of emotions; the grimace of his brows and tight lips show viciousness. Caracalla bust was probably carved for trade; it was sculpted at the same time when English people bought sculptures, while the Patrician head was a representation of power, Culture, and wisdom.

Both artworks are a representation of royalty; Caracalla is a bold and cruel ruler. The patrician head has all the features that depict male royalty in the Roman Empire. The sculptors used the same material for their work, marble.

Conclusion

According to the illustrations above, The Patrician head is a significant depiction of Ancient Roman Culture and tradition, emphasizing human features while the Caracalla bust is a depiction of discoveries of art, sculptures represent facial expressions and change of hairstyle that was borrowed from the Greek Culture.

Reference

Trentinella, R. “Roman Portrait Sculpture: The Stylistic Cycle.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Available at https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ropo2/hd_ropo2.htm Accessed September 10, 2020

Kuesel, C. (2019, September 2).7 Ancient Roman Sculptures You Need to Know. Art. Retrieved from https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-7-ancient-roman-sculptures Accessed September 10, 2020

Becker, A.J. introduction to Ancient Roman art. Khan Academy. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/beginners-guide-rome/a/introduction-to-ancient-roman-art Accessed September 10, 2020.