ANCIENT ART-2

p A Comparison Between a

Roman Sarcophagus and a

Greek Funeral Stele

In this essay I will compare and contrast an Attic Funerary Stele from Ancient Greece with a Roman Sarcophagus . Both of these works served as memorials to the dead of Ancient Greece and Rome . They also served the purpose of displaying the status of the people that they memorialized to friends , and family they came from a time in ancient history when the Greek state was slowly falling into decay , and Rome was beginning its rise to power . Both

of these works depict the evolution of the human form and how it was depicted in art throughout the Greek and Roman empires

The first work was found in The Louvre Museums Greek , Etruscan and Roman Collection . It is titles Attic Funerary Stele of Baco , Socrates and Aristolake and is dated at around 380 B .C . The work is attributed to the sculptor Melian . It is measures 1 .47x .092 m . It is in the form of a Naiskos or small funerary temple . The material used by the sculptor in the creation of this work is Pentelian marble . It was created using a low relief technique . It may have originally been painted since this was common for Greek and Roman sculpture at the time . This work has suffered some damage as the result of its great age . The figures have eroded with time , and it is difficult to tell if the artist originally created them with more detail than it has now

This stele depicts six figures , three of them are seated . It is assumed that the people depicted are the deceased and their family members . This work is created using very simple lines and few details . Although the human form is depicted accurately the figures lack in detail . This simple depiction is typical of Greece during the 3rd and 4th centuries B .C . The figures have evolved quite a bit from what they were at the beginning of the Greek empire but they still are simple and un-detailed The function of this funerary stele was to act as an in home memorial for deceased family members . This is the reason for its small size , and square shape

The work that this funerary stele will be compared to is The Four Seasons /Dionysius Roman Sarcophagus found at the Metropolitan Museum of art in their Ancient Art collection . This sarcophagus was undated and the sculptor is unknown . It is thought to have belonged to a nobleman of Ancient Rome . It is created in high relief from Phrygian Marble . The relief depicts several figures including Dionysius , and the Four Seasons , Spring , Summer , Autumn and Winter . The sculptures on the ends of the sarcophagus depict Mother Earth and on the other a god of some sort and two winged figures thought to also represent seasons . The sarcophagus also has at least 32 other figures carved upon it thought to represent other characters associated with the Cult of Bacchus . This sarcophagus was thought to...