Art in the lives of ordinary Romans
Subtitle: visual representation and non-elite viewers in Italy, 100 B.C.-A.D. 315
By: John R. Clarke.
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Berkeley
Language: eng
Number of pages: 383
Subjects: Art, Roman -- Themes, motives; Art, Roman -- Social aspects; Social classes in art; Social status -- Rome
Description: "This illustrated book brings to life the ancient Romans whom modern scholarship has largely ignored: slaves, ex-slaves, foreigners, and the freeborn working poor. Though they had no access to the upper echelons of society, ordinary Romans enlivened their world with all manner of artworks. Discussing a wide range of art in the late republic and early empire - from familiar monuments to the obscure Caupona of Salvius and little-studied tomb reliefs - John R. Clarke provides a tantalizing glimpse into the lives of ordinary Roman people. Writing for a wide audience, he illuminates the dynamics of a discerning and sophisticated population, overturning much accepted wisdom about them, and opening our eyes to their astounding cultural diversity."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 331-352) and index.
Table of contents: title: Augustus's and Trajan's messages to commoners; title: The all-seeing emperor and ordinary viewers : Marcus Aurelius and Constantine; title: Everyman, everywoman, and the gods; title: Everyman and everywoman at work; title: Spectacle : entertainment, social control, self-advertising, and transgression; title: Laughter and subversion in the tavern : image, text, and context; title: Commemoration of life in the domain of the dead : non-elite tombs and sarcophagi; title: Minding your manners : banquets, behavior, and class; title: Putting your best face forward : self-representation at home.