A Study of the Sarcophagus of the Spouses
While the origins of the Etruscan people are unknown, they appear to historians to have been an indigenous people, possibly coming from Asia Minor. It is impossible to know the exact origins however, as no literature survived. The only written records that remain today are mainly funerary inscriptions. It is the purpose of this paper then, to examine a fundamental piece of funerary art to expand upon the history and culture of a people that inevitably incorporated itself into the Roman Empire.
Known as Tyrrhenians to the Greeks, the Etruscans lived in Etruria between the Arno and Tiber rivers of Italy in what is now known as Tuscany (Who Were the Etruscans?). The economy was based on agriculture, trade with Carthage and the Greeks, and mining mineral resources. Around 700 BC, between the Arno and Tiber rivers of Italy, the Etruscans began to emerge as a distinct artistic culture. The Etruscan power was at its height around the last quarter of the 6th century. By 474 BCE, the Greeks ended the Etruscan domination of the sea and by 89 BCE Rome controlled all of Italy. Considered the “First Superpower of the Western Mediterranean (Khan Academy), the Etruscans were responsible for much of the culture and artistic traditions throughout the Roman Empire. In fact, hydraulic engineering, temple design, and even “the spectacle of gladiatorial combat” (Khan Academy) can be attributed to the Etruscans. The first people in Italy to learn to write, the Etruscans were responsible for teaching the alphabet to Rome and for the spread of literacy through the Italic peninsula. Much like that of Greece, art historians divide the history of this culture’s art into periods. These periods are the Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. During the Orientalizing period, the Etruscans were accumulating great wealth from mining. From this wealth, opulent tombs for the dead were created with lively paintings, sculpture, and pottery. Much of what is known of Etruscan art comes from their burials. From the excavation of extensive tombs and necropolis, archeologists have learned much about the Etruscan culture. Tombs, such as the tufa tombs of the Banditaccia Necropolis at Cerveteri, often took the shape of the Etruscan homes, going so far as to include roof beams or beds for the deceased (Tombs). The Etruscans believed that the afterlife was parallel to the world of the living and in fact mirrored the interiors of tombs to that of the …show more content…
The woman is dressed in attire representative of wealth and aristocracy. The rounded faces and the stylistic hairstyles show characteristics of an Ionian influence, most likely that of the Greek towns of Minor Asia. The posing of the limbs, outstretched and seemingly animated along with the long, angular joints better reflect the elements and characteristics that are uniquely Etruscan.
Today this artwork is one of only two of its kind. The Sarcophagus of the Spouses “conveys a great deal of information about Etruscan culture and its customs” (Khan Academy) and further demonstrates the funerary customs of Etruscan society. In conclusion and in the opinion of the author, this piece is an excellent representation of the unique characteristics that are identifiably Etruscan in nature, providing in depth knowledge about Etruscan customs, funerary beliefs, and the community that built the foundations of the Roman
While the origins of the Etruscan people are unknown, they appear to historians to have been an indigenous people, possibly coming from Asia Minor. It is impossible to know the exact origins however, as no literature survived. The only written records that remain today are mainly funerary inscriptions. It is the purpose of this paper then, to examine a fundamental piece of funerary art to expand upon the history and culture of a people that inevitably incorporated itself into the Roman Empire.
Known as Tyrrhenians to the Greeks, the Etruscans lived in Etruria between the Arno and Tiber rivers of Italy in what is now known as Tuscany (Who Were the Etruscans?). The economy was based on agriculture, trade with Carthage and the Greeks, and mining mineral resources. Around 700 BC, between the Arno and Tiber rivers of Italy, the Etruscans began to emerge as a distinct artistic culture. The Etruscan power was at its height around the last quarter of the 6th century. By 474 BCE, the Greeks ended the Etruscan domination of the sea and by 89 BCE Rome controlled all of Italy. Considered the “First Superpower of the Western Mediterranean (Khan Academy), the Etruscans were responsible for much of the culture and artistic traditions throughout the Roman Empire. In fact, hydraulic engineering, temple design, and even “the spectacle of gladiatorial combat” (Khan Academy) can be attributed to the Etruscans. The first people in Italy to learn to write, the Etruscans were responsible for teaching the alphabet to Rome and for the spread of literacy through the Italic peninsula. Much like that of Greece, art historians divide the history of this culture’s art into periods. These periods are the Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. During the Orientalizing period, the Etruscans were accumulating great wealth from mining. From this wealth, opulent tombs for the dead were created with lively paintings, sculpture, and pottery. Much of what is known of Etruscan art comes from their burials. From the excavation of extensive tombs and necropolis, archeologists have learned much about the Etruscan culture. Tombs, such as the tufa tombs of the Banditaccia Necropolis at Cerveteri, often took the shape of the Etruscan homes, going so far as to include roof beams or beds for the deceased (Tombs). The Etruscans believed that the afterlife was parallel to the world of the living and in fact mirrored the interiors of tombs to that of the …show more content…
The woman is dressed in attire representative of wealth and aristocracy. The rounded faces and the stylistic hairstyles show characteristics of an Ionian influence, most likely that of the Greek towns of Minor Asia. The posing of the limbs, outstretched and seemingly animated along with the long, angular joints better reflect the elements and characteristics that are uniquely Etruscan.
Today this artwork is one of only two of its kind. The Sarcophagus of the Spouses “conveys a great deal of information about Etruscan culture and its customs” (Khan Academy) and further demonstrates the funerary customs of Etruscan society. In conclusion and in the opinion of the author, this piece is an excellent representation of the unique characteristics that are identifiably Etruscan in nature, providing in depth knowledge about Etruscan customs, funerary beliefs, and the community that built the foundations of the Roman