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The Colosseum Analysis

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Ideal is a term we all use in many capacities - ideal body, ideal job, ideal life. The word itself is meant to describe the satisfaction of what one thinks is perfect, i.e. the most suitable. Ancient Greek and Roman art possess idealisms that allow us to imagine the experience of life during their times. This is done in more ways than one. In contrast to the imperfect states of realism, idealism is the expression of the visual aspects we see, but also can be extended into the contexts of the work’s time period - what was occurring in the area at that time, how it was built, the societal atmosphere, etc. Through analyzation of artwork in such a way, the piece can develop a deeper meaning to the viewer and even pass the stories of the creator …show more content…

The project was so important that the Romans invented their own recipe for concrete that required individual forms to be made for each varying piece of the building, in order to maximize the building’s durability. The structure was built on a very grand scale as the architects’ intentions may have been to represent their dominance through a building that could be seen above all others in the surrounding area. The current attitude of the militaristic and gods-fearing society of the Romans in that time period was one of power. This building portrays the arch style that is so commonly seen in Roman art, questionably their greatest contribution to art. They used the arches all around the exterior of the arena to hold up great weights and exhibit the power that their city held. They were a strong society and showed that within their designs. Along with the arches, variations of column orders can be seen in this structure. The Romans adopted these orders from Greek art. The most prevalent column order in Roman art is the Corinthian, which is quite ornate with intricate detail from top to bottom. The purpose of using that style is to display the elegance of the …show more content…

Greek art, on the other hand, had a more modest style. The column styles discussed earlier originated in ancient Greece. The three orders each display the beauty that the Greeks found in art and in life. They were strong, like the city, and able to support the larger top pieces. These elements can clearly be seen in The Parthenon in Athens. The Parthenon was constructed between 447 and 438 BCE, overseen by Iktinos, Kallikrates and Phidias. The main purpose was to shelter the magnificent statue of Athena in her honor. Athena’s statue was of ivory and gold - two precious elements that weren’t used everyday. The dedication the Greeks put into this project exemplifies their devotion to Athena; they viewed her as the ideal goddess. Greek architects appreciated proportionality and thus decided on a 9:4 ratio for the building. The ratio of the distance between columns to each column diameter is 9:4. The ratio of the length of the temple to its width is 9:4 and the ratio of the width of the front of the temple to its height is 9:4. All parts of this building were planned exactly, nothing was overlooked. Perfection had to be achieved for this to be worthy of

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