Chapter 8 – The Art of the Etruscans
Q1. We can only interpret what the Etruscans were like through what’s left of their art and architecture. There is not a huge emphasis on gods in their art the way there is in other civilizations. They also seemed to place higher value on women. Wives participated in public life and frequented banquets with their husbands. Their personal belongings had inscriptions, suggesting that they were literate. Etruscan artists frequently depict myths where women dominate men. It seems that women were respected and valued more than in other cultures. Etruscan art stressed an importance on the existence of an afterlife. They put in a lot of effort into honoring their dead. Like the Egyptians, they buried their dead with material objects such as mirrors, jewelry, and weapons. They were cremated and buried in individual tombs or cinerary urns. Hundreds of paintings have been discovered underground in tombs. This attention to the dead suggests that the Etruscans very much valued and mourned their loved ones. …show more content…
I think that Etruscan art is worth studying, even though there is not a lot we know about their culture. This was probably true about many cultures before new discoveries were made. Their art may have been influenced by other civilizations, but their belief system seems to be unique. Their society was more advanced in their views towards women and created monumental sarcophagi for cremated remains rather than bodies. Etruscans also skillfully created bronze work. If Etruscan art was grouped with another larger civilization’s art, these details would most likely be lost. Work Cited:
Adams, Laurie Schneider. ‘The Art of the Etruscans’.
A History Of Western Art. McGraw-Hill, 2011.
Q1. We can only interpret what the Etruscans were like through what’s left of their art and architecture. There is not a huge emphasis on gods in their art the way there is in other civilizations. They also seemed to place higher value on women. Wives participated in public life and frequented banquets with their husbands. Their personal belongings had inscriptions, suggesting that they were literate. Etruscan artists frequently depict myths where women dominate men. It seems that women were respected and valued more than in other cultures. Etruscan art stressed an importance on the existence of an afterlife. They put in a lot of effort into honoring their dead. Like the Egyptians, they buried their dead with material objects such as mirrors, jewelry, and weapons. They were cremated and buried in individual tombs or cinerary urns. Hundreds of paintings have been discovered underground in tombs. This attention to the dead suggests that the Etruscans very much valued and mourned their loved ones. …show more content…
I think that Etruscan art is worth studying, even though there is not a lot we know about their culture. This was probably true about many cultures before new discoveries were made. Their art may have been influenced by other civilizations, but their belief system seems to be unique. Their society was more advanced in their views towards women and created monumental sarcophagi for cremated remains rather than bodies. Etruscans also skillfully created bronze work. If Etruscan art was grouped with another larger civilization’s art, these details would most likely be lost. Work Cited:
Adams, Laurie Schneider. ‘The Art of the Etruscans’.
A History Of Western Art. McGraw-Hill, 2011.