Etruscan+Art



=//**The Etruscans:**//=

The Etruscans gained control in north and central Italy, and area called Etruria. Their wealth came from fertile soil and their access to large supplies of metal ore. Therefore they were both farmers and metalworkers. They were able to use these resources in trade with other cultures in the eastern Mediterranean, notably the Greeks. With access to the ocean they were sailors as well as merchants. Artists were influenced by a combination of Greek and Near Eastern art, creating a unique Etruscan style. This Etruscan style later influenced the Romans and their art.

**//Architecture://**
__**Cities:**__ The Etruscans used grid plans to map out their cities. Their cities were divided into quarters by two main streets, one running north and south, and the other running east and west. The intersection was therefore their center of business. These cities were surrounded by walls with gates and towers for protection. A famous surviving example is at Perugia, known as the Porta Augusta. It has a passageway between two huge towers, and it demonstrates the use of the arch as a building technique.

__**Temples:**__
The Etruscans adopted Greek deities and heroes into their religion. The rest of their religious beliefs, however, remain largely a mystery. Knowledge of the Etruscan temples comes from foundations, models of houses, fragments of terra-cotta decoration, and descriptions from Vitruvius, a Roman architect.They were based on Greek temples, but did have distinctive features. For example, Etruscan temples have a columned porch only on one side, placing an emphasis on the interior. The columns are similar to the Greek Doric columns, but each aspect of them is simplified, creating what is known as the "Tuscan order."The temples were made of brick, with wood columns and entablatures, and covered with materials such as plaster or stucco. Terra-cotta was used as roofing and as decorations for them.

//**Sculpture:**//
The Etruscans decorated their temples with elaborate painting and sculpture made from terra-cotta. In some cases they were able to create huge sculptures, usually to be placed in temples. The Etruscans emphasized the human body, like the Greeks, but they had a very different style. Specifically, Etruscan sculptures had characteristics suchas egg-shaped heads, almond-shaped eyes, and Archaic smiles adopted from the Greeks. They were also clothed, and had a strong sense of movement. Free standing sculpture demonstrated a level of action characteristic of Etruscan art. The energy and dynamism expressed in Etruscan statues set them apart as a distinctive style.

The sculpture of Apulu (Apollo) at Veii demonstrates all of the characteristics of Etruscan art. It is made of sculpted terra-cotta, and shows Apulu mid-stride with his arm reaching out in front of him. His clothes seem to flutter around him, and he has the Archaic smile. His movement is what sets him apart from the rigid Greek kouroi, as opposed to standing stiffly, this figure is caught in the middle of a motion. It is from the sanctuary of Portonaccio at Veii, and was originally part of a scene with four figures depicting a labor of Hercules.
 * The Apulu of Veii**

//**Sarcophagi:**//
The physical remains of the dead were placed in sarcophagi or urns. They were a way that the Etruscans commemorated their dead. In the burial chambers, some of the most elaborate and treasured things were the sarcophagi, especially the covers. Often the covers would portray something related to the person whose remains were inside, a common example is a sculpture of themselves. Although large in size, the sarcophagi were also used to hold the ashes of people who had been cremated, which were placed in urns in the sarcophagus. They were often made of sculpted terra-cotta, and reflected many religious views. The Etruscans were polytheistic, but at the same time the afterlife focused on the individual. Tombs were filled with useful, everyday objects, recreating a corporeal setting. This emphasizes their belief that a person's soul lives on after death.

The Reclining Couple on a Sarcophagus from Cerveteri is one of the most well-known sarcophagi from Etruria. Made in two pieces, it portrays a presumed married couple, who seem comfortable and happy. They are in an interesting position, with their upper bodies upright, as if they are sitting up, while their legs stretch to the side. By showing the couple as friendly and lively, it reflects the idea that death is only the next step in life. Their smiles and welcoming gestures do not give any trace of gravity or mourning because of death. They both have almond shaped eyes and Archaic smiles characteristic of Etruscan sculpture. Their body language seems to invite the viewer over, and the action they are frozen in also reflects the movement of Etruscan sculpture. The jewelry they wear and the elaborate sarcophagus suggest they were wealthy, and the figures were in fact made to look like them.
 * Reclining Couple on a Sarcophagus from Cerveteri:**

//**Burial Chambers: Cerveteri**//


The Etruscans believed that after death souls needed a place to live. They took the afterlife very seriously, seen in their preparations and treatment of death. This idea is not new, we see it in several other cultures, most notably the Egyptians. That is why their burial chambers were like homes. For example, the necropolis at Cerveteri, also known as the Necropoli della Banditaccia, is a major monument in Etruscan art. It is famous for its tumuli, which were burial mounds over graves or chambers. There are about one thousand burial mounds in all at Cerveteri. They are laid out like a city, with street-like paths winding between the tumuli.

The Tomb of the Reliefs is an example of a tomb that looks like a real room cut from rock. The walls are plastered and decorated. It is furnished with everything the dead might need to live peacefully and comfortably. Stone couches as well as pots, clothes, and tools rendered to look real were made for the dead buried here. The beds in the carved niches in the walls even have pillows and blankets surprisingly lifelike. This shows how greatly the Etruscans valued their families and their dead, they wanted them to be able to live on with everything they would need.
 * Tomb of the Reliefs:**

//**Painting and Frescoes:**//
Etruscan tombs are also famous for the paintings and frescoes on their walls. They give us insight on what daily life was like, as well as rituals and their interpretation of the afterlife. Like their sculptors, Etruscan painters portrayed movement and action extremely well. They were able to create exciting and realistic worlds of the afterlife on the walls of tomb chambers. They show all kinds of activities, such as playing, dancing, and hunting. In addition, religious and mythological scenes are portrayed.

The Tomb of the Leopards at Tarquinia is one of the most famous locations where wall paintings were found, and is where the Double Flute Player is from. He is part of a cheerful scene, with bright colors and a lively spirit. The setting is a banquet, and he is shown in motion like most other Etruscan artworks. The painting expresses relaxation and happiness separated from the stresses of daily life.
 * The Double Flute Player:**

//**Etruscan Metalworking:**//
The Etruscans had access to large supplies of metal, and as a result metallurgy was very important. Their jewelry shows high levels of technique and detail, which had a high market demand. They were especially famous for their creation of bronze tools and artworks. Bronze gave them a militaristic advantage, they had better equipment and were more prepared for defense and battle. Artists were accomplished in rendering bronze, and their styles were later adopted by the Romans.

A cista is a cylindrical case used for a woman's toiletry items. The Ficoroni Cista is elaborately decorated with drawings etched into the bronze, depicting part of the story of the Argonauts. After being drawn, the lines were filled with a white material so that they stood out. The legs and handle were cast separately and attached to the body of the container later on. On top we see figures of Dionysus and two satrys, this was common on cistae. The Ficoroni Cista was made by Novios Plautius and was a gift from Dindia Macolnia to her daughter.
 * The Ficoroni Cista:**

The Capitoline Wolf is one of the most distinctive symbols of Rome, because of the legend that the city was founded by Romulus and Remus. The myth says that the boys were found and raised by a she-wolf. This statue, however, is Etruscan, and most likely had nothing to do with the myth. The wolf is thought to have been created in the Etruscan period, with the twins added much later. It is slightly larger than life-size, and is very tense, with glaring eyes and pricked-up ears. This reflects the energy characteristic of Etruscan sculpture. Although it is not moving, it is alert and still gives the impression of action. The wolf's curly fur shows detailed rendering by the Etruscan artist, which "combines naturalism and stylization."
 * The Capitoline Wolf:**

**BIBLIOGRAPHY** Cummings, Laura. "The Portrayal of Death and the Afterlife in Etruscan Sarcophagi." //Lagrange.edu//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2013.

"Etruscan Architecture by Ingrid Edlund-Berry." //Etruscan Architecture//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

"Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia." //- UNESCO World Heritage Centre//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

"Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia - World Heritage Site

- Pictures, Info and Travel Reports." //Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia - World Heritage Site - Pictures, Info and Travel Reports//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

"Etruscan Sculpture by P. Gregory Warden." //Etruscan Sculpture//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

"Etruscan Wall Painting by Lisa Pieraccini." //Etruscan Wall Painting//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." //Etruscan Art//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt. Cothren. "Chapter 6: Etruscan and Roman Art." //Art History//. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2011. 160-68. Print.