ARTH 3150: Etruscan and Roman Art: Roman Sculpture

Comprehensively illustrated with black and white photographs, this book investigates how the tradition of the Roman nude arose, and how the nudity of these portraits was meant to be understood by contemporary viewers.

Kousser draws on contemporary reception theory to present an approach to Hellenistic and Roman ideal sculpture. She analyzes the Romans' preference for retrospective, classicizing statuary based on Greek models as opposed to the innovative creations prized by modern scholars. Using a case study of a particular sculptural type, a forceful yet erotic image of Venus, Kousser argues that the Romans self-consciously employed such sculptures to represent their ties to the past in a rapidly evolving world.

By combining a wide socio-historical perspective with a close reading of individual images, their setting, and their inscribed texts, this book suggests how to read the meaning of Roman portrait statues.

By analyzing ancient texts and images, this book unravels the web of associations which surrounded Roman statues. Addressing all categories of statuary together, it illuminates them in ancient terms, explaining expectations of what statues were or ought to be in Roman society.

In this study of Roman mythological sarcophagi, Michael Koortbojian unravels the meaning of these ancient funerary monuments and assesses their significance in the broader context of Roman life.

A comprehensive overview of the sculpture of ancient Rome, from the Republic to the Constantinian period.