Comparing Roman and Greek Art Essay -- Ancient Rome Greece History Art

Comparing Roman and classical ArtThroughout history artwork has consistently reflected the cultural determine and social structures of individual civilizations. Ancient art serves as a utilitarian tool to help historians decipher some important aspects of antediluvian socialisation. From art we can determine the basic moral and philosophical beliefs of many ancient societies. The differences in arts purpose in Greece and Rome, for example, show us the organic differences in each cultures political and moral system. The primary objective of Hellenic art was to explore the order of nature and to convey philosophical thinking, objet dart Roman art was used primarily as a intermediate to project the authority and importance of the current ruler and the greatness of his empire. This tack in the meaning of art from Greek to Roman times shows the step-by-step decline in the importance of intellectualism in ancient western culture. The early example of how art reflects the basic moral and philosophical belief systems in individual cultures is seen in the Ancient Egyptian empire. The art of this time was super consider and mainly focused on displaying the graven image and importance of the Pharaoh. The some famous examples of this Theocratic influence on art are the undischarged Sphinx and the Pyramids of Chefren. The massive size and artistic perfection of these works, which were mainly dedicated to expressing the divinity of the Pharaoh, show that Egyptian society was based primarily on mythologic law. The highly idealized, mythological style of Egyptian art suggests that Egyptian culture as a whole was non concerned with scientific and numeric truths.Arts reflection of culture and society extends to the Greek and Roman empires, and shows the import... ... a symbol of the supreme authority he held over his empire. At his feet, a small sculpture of Cupid was carved in an attempt to show Augustus?s divine lineage (Cunningham, 150). Every aspect of this portrait is highly idealized and centered around the greatness and divinity of Augustus. Because little attempt was make to capture the actual physical appearance of the Emperor, this sculpture can not be considered a portrait but more accurately, a pen of greatness. Such works display the political domination and lack of originality in Roman art. The simplification of art during this period reflects an overall simplification of thought and decline in the importance of intellectualism in western culture.Work CitedCunningham, Lawrence S., Reich, can J. Culture and Values A Survey of Western Humanties. New York Harcourt fire College Publishers, 1994.