Week 6: Nodleman and Welch

When Nodleman speaks of Roman art as  a system of signs, he is concerned with its function as a whole and what it conveys to the audience.  The art is in fact a culmination of signs meant to portray a certain message to the spectator.  This was what in fact set Roman portraiture apart from that of the Greeks: its ability to be interpreted as one idea through a series of separate elements, each with their own individuality.

According to Welch, Roman sculpture is in fact almost entirely based on Greek sculpture, as they considered it to already be perfected in its original state.  However, stylistic changes and innovations still occurred, as there was no pattern as to what the Romans considered were the best attributes of the Greek sculptures.  An excellent example of this sort of stylistic blend is the Esquiline Venus, which combines different body types and styles from both the Greek and Roman eras.  This adoption of Greek style was also apparent in the Romans' use of sarcophagi as funerary monuments, which they commonly adorned with battle scenes due to their tumultuous and militaristic way of life.