Feiran Zhou
ART 101: Ancient and Medieval Art
Professor David Areford
11/29/2012
The Comparison of Roman Art and Egyptian Art Art has existed since thousands years ago. It has existed in many different ways, in different places and styles. Art is influenced by different cultures. Different cultures have their own ways of seeing the art. Art is created by different beliefs. Different beliefs create art for different purposes. Art can be a tool to show people’s feelings. People can show their love, anger, happiness or desire by creating artworks. People use this function of art since thousands years ago. Roman Empire and Egypt are old countries with long history. They have their own civilizations. In this essay, I want to choose two artworks from both Roman Empire and Egypt to compare and analyze. The pair of artworks to be compared are the Cinerary Urn with Offering Scene and the Pseudo-group Statue of Penmeru. The first one to be analyzed is the Cinerary Urn with Offering Scene. It was made in Roman, Imperial period, about A.D. 150. It was made of marble (from the island of Proconnesus in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul, Turkey). It is 36.8 cm (14 1/2 in.) in height; 49.2 cm (19 3/8 in.) in width; 41.6 cm (16 3/8 in.) in depth. Its classification is tomb equipment. It is currently displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the museum purchased it with funds donated in memory of Emily Townsend Vermeule, 2002. On the front, a man wearing a toga pours a libation over a tripod- altar. Next to him are two youths, one of whom plays the double flute. A flute player provides music, a frequent component of ancient sacrifices. A woman raises her hand in a gesture of prayer. She is flanked by a girl. The scene takes place in front of a curtain and is framed by pilasters. The heads of the man and woman are unfinished. On the right side the eagle of Jupiter holds a victory wreath in its
Cited: Sign on the wall, 2nd floor, Roman gallery, on pedestal in corner, 2002.25; Map: orange, gallery 213. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Sign on the wall, 1st floor, Old Kingdom Funerary Arts long gallery in case; 1912 12.1484; Map: orange, gallery 105. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Volume 45, 2009. By The American Research Center in Egypt.