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Greek and Roman Mosaics and Painting
Instructor David Soren
Lecture 9: Recurring Motives in Mosaics
- The Role of Venus
- Can be Verticordia or Greek Aphrodite
- Punico-Syrian Venus- parallels with Astarte, Isis
- Nautical festivals with nude bathing in sacred pools- 2 guards, sacred pool
- Afros (foam)- Cypriote, symbol of rebirth and nurturing to vegetation
- Spring and the energy of nature- Adonis and the rose from his blood
- Victory over death- Adonis gardens
- Venus and Dionysus most accessible gods to mortals
- Best knucklebone throw is called Venus, dice numbered I, III, IV, VI and if throw different one 4 straight times it is Venus Throw ofTalus, and the worst is called Dog (Canis Throw).
- Magic
- Talisman belt in Homer, 2nd c. CE popularity vs. evil eye
- Her appearance on mosaic limen can be protection for house, room
- Cordium ilex in Apuleius- she possesses magic oak tablet
- Protector of infants in tombs- statuettes from tombs, apotropaic
- Verticordia- especially in bath structures
- Rose and jasmine- Rosalia in May brings roses to tomb
- Prosperity and abundance
- Power to revive the dead and cancel sorcery spells
- Nurturer of the Iulii and Augustus- Genetrix
- Centauresses- Mosaic of Elles- nature spirits of forest- ca. A.D. 300
- Polystefanus rationis archeus-
- Many-crowned is the power/force of reason
- Venus is an astral mistress, concept as well as goddess
- Centauresses rare- forest spirits, seasonal properties
- Venus is good fortune, victory over enemies and evil
- Symbol of power of nature
- Horses- Tertullian ca. 160 CE allegory of circus and our lives
- 4 factions- white (winter), red (summer), green (spring), blue (fall
grapes)
- 12 chariots doors parallel 12 zodiac signs
- Horses are often talismans, draw solar car, draw dead to sun.
- .Symbols of victory- even on Christian mosaics
- Horses are triumph symbols in circus of life with victors receiving palms
B.Mosaic of the Months- Thysdrus/El Djem- 3rd century
- Calendar of Roman Life in 16 squares done as Pseudo-Emblema
- September- Grapes prepared and stomped in harvest
- October- Figures salute star, possibly birth of Alexander Severus October 1, 208 CE, popular festival up to 4th century A.D., heralded by comet
- December- Saturnalia- return of the Golden Age, satyrs in loin cloths, Catullus’ favorite holiday, masters serve slaves, gambling permitted
- January- Compitalia for Lares, genius on socle with rhyton, presided over by magisti vici who dressed up for it
- Winter- aged and covered, rabbit, millet, two ducks
- November- Anubis with Isis finds Osiris’ body, wear Anubis masks, hold rattle
- Apriles- Veneralia- Venus Anadyomene in niche, men dress as women, carry roses and torches and dance before her image
- Junius- Fors Fortuna- 5 miles from Rome is sanctuary, bring onions, fennel, poppies, Servius Tullius founds sanctuary along Tiber, boats of drunken revelers
- Begins in March, traditional start of new year
C.Seasons and Latefundia- Mosaic of Seigneur Julius from Carthage- 4th century
- Fortified farms of late antiquity- latefundia, loggia
- The Seasons-
- Left Bottom- spring roses
- Right bottom- autumn, basket of grapes, rabbit, orchard with quinces, apples, crane, dog
- Winter- olives, ducks, warm clothes, goats
- Summer- wheat, shepherd with tied dog, mapalia
- The Four Seasons- proof of order and hope for afterlife, man and the cosmos
- Celestial bodies can affect character, soul, body, fortunes (Cicero and the stoics)
- The Great Hunt- main avocation of great landowners, tell tall tales, celebrate
it at the House of the Hunt, Utica, Tunisia
- Late Antique Figural Treatment-
Stylization
Tiering
Doll look
Overlarge hands, heads
Decline of plasticity
Decline of the Classical Ideal
Simplification of detail
D.Great Dermeche Hunt Mosaic- Carthage ca. A.D. 300
- Hunting Guilds- apparatores
- The Trip to Africa- lions, elephants, boars
- Hunting dogs
- Decoys
For a copy of the PowerPoint for the lecture click here