The Arch Of Titus

Katelyn Burton
Ms. Gant
Fine Arts Appreciation
1 October 2015
Arch of Titus The Arch of Titus is an amazing architectural creation built in Rome. The arch itself has such beauty and intricate designs that it makes you wonder just what the person who built it was thinking. This Roman piece of artwork is what will be discussed, as we investigate the reasons why it was built, when it was built, the person behind the piece of artwork, and the structural integrity of the arch as a whole. The Arch of Titus was built in 81 CE by Domitian who was Titus’s brother. He created the statue, which “commemorates the victories of his father Vespasian and brother Titus in the Jewish War in Judaea (70-71 CE) when the great city of Jerusalem was sacked and
The arch was revered by Jewish people and early Christians were reminded of the words of Jesus when He predicted the destruction of the temple before He was crucified. “The Arch of Titus with its reliefs are high on the list of importance in the study of Biblical Archaeology because it reveals a scene in history that testifies to the events predicted by Jesus regarding Jerusalem.” (Bible History Online). On one side of the arch, there is a relief that shows the emperor and his army taking goods from the destroyed temple at Jerusalem. It also shows a menorah which is the seven branched candelabra of Jewish tradition, the silver trumpets and what is known as the Table of the Shewbread. All of these images are revered by Romans, Jews and Christians
The original statue was said to be made out of marble. In 1821, an architect by the name of Giuseppe Valadier restored the arch. According to A View On Cities.com, “sections of the outer sides were rebuilt between 1822 and 1823 in travertine instead of marble, so they would be distinguishable from the original.” Travertine was widely used in Italy, because it was so common. Both marble and travertine are forms of limestone, but the only difference between the two is time. Limestone is pressed over many many years and travertine is developed, but if the limestone is pressed for even more years it turns into marble. “So travertine is a kind of stone that is about halfway in between limestone and marble. ("What is travertine?"). What we can gather from the history of this monument and the structure, it appears as if The Arch of Titus was a religious, political, artistic approach that Romans had towards their victories. It is important to our artwork today because the materials used, have been used and modified in our building structures and ideas today. It is safe to say that without the help of the Romans, we might not readily know how to use different mineral elements and structures to aid in the support and makeup of our buildings