An exhibition featuring more than 30 Roman portrait heads, stone
figures and relief fragments, dating from the first Century BC to
the third Century AD will be at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
from March 13 through July 4. "The Miller Collection of Roman
Sculpture: Mythological Figures and Portraits" draws from the
private collection of Dr Michael Miller of Armonk, N.Y., and has
been assembled over the last 20 years with the advice of Dr
Richard Brilliant, professor of art history and archaeology at
Columbia University.
Comprising images of familiar mythological subjects, funerary
fragments and a large group of portraits including several
imperial examples, the exhibition provides a rare opportunity to
view known personalities, mythological iconography, Classical
style of dress, as well as sculpting techniques of the time.
The exhibition includes some full figures, but the majority of
objects in the exhibition are heads. Portrait heads of
recognizable imperial personages such as Augustus, Gaius Caesar,
Faustina Minor, Commodus and Diocletian are on view as well as
mythological subjects. Within this imperial group, one can view
clear stylistic distinctions between male and female portraits
that suggest political ideology and a few portraits that
illustrate familial connections.
The mythological figures in the exhibition include images of
Silenos and satyrs as well as divine subjects including Zeus,
Hercules, Cupid, the physician Asklepius and Medusa. Images of
youth and maturity can be found in this grouping. The god Zeus,
for example, is just as idealized and perfect in his maturity as
Cupid is in his youthfulness. Zeus wears a beard as a sign of
age, but seems to suffer no other physical effects.
Portraits, however, represent the most prestigious aspect of the
exhibition. Initially reserved for the aristocracy or deceased
heads of state, portraiture grew popular among the entire Roman
populace. For nearly 500 years, from the mid-Republic until the
late Empire, prosperous merchants, professionals, freedmen and
even some slaves could afford to have portraits carved in grave
reliefs. At the same time, the aristocracy also commissioned
numerous portraits of themselves and their families for display
in their homes and businesses as well as public spaces.
Portrait head of the Emperor Augustus, Roman; First Century AD.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Roman portraiture remained strong for centuries, especially
when private portraits, whether used in home, tomb or forum, marked
the citizen's participation in the affairs of society and the
welfare of the state. The late Third Century shifts to a belief in
the spiritual over the physical which caused Romans to lose
interest in realistic portraiture and to place more emphasis on an
individual's soul than one's likeness in stone.
An accompanying catalog prepared by independent scholar Dr Sheree
Jaros with an introduction by Professor Brilliant is available,
$35 paperback.
The free lecture "Portraits of Barbarians in Roman Art" will be
presented by Elizabeth Bartman, scholar, author and expert in
Greek and Roman art, on Thursday, April 1 at 6 pm. Bartman will
explore the role of the face-mask helmet in the hippika gymnasia,
an equestrian spectacle. Some of these masks represent wo-men,
raising questions about the relationship between war violence and
gender in Roman culture in the imperial age.
The free symposium "The Miller Collection of Roman Sculpture:
Intentions and Acquisitions" will take place Friday, April 16,
and Saturday, April 17. Registration is recommended. The
symposium will open a keynote address "In Touch with the Ancient
Past" by Dr Richard Brilliant on Saturday, April 17, from 10 am
to 5 pm. Four lectures will address major topics relevant to
persons interested in the Roman world, including the subjects of
collecting and connoisseurship, portraiture, power, and politics,
and architecture. The symposium will conclude with a discussion
featuring all presenters.
"Sculpture in the Ancient Mediterranean World" will be conducted
by students Sunday, April 18, 12:30 to 4:30 pm. Students from
area colleges and universities, including Macalaster College, the
University of Minnesota and the University of St Thomas, will
present research papers.
For information, 612-870-3131 or www.artsmia.org.
