The next stage in the decoration of the Pompeii Room is to incorporate the images of five successive Roman emperors. They reigned at the height and might of the empire, during a period of relative tranquility that became known as the time of The Five Good Emperors.
(History buffs and authorities will have to excuse me, since all five reigned
after Pompeii was already covered by ash. This will just have to come under the heading of
artistic license!)
In fact the Emperor Titus, son of
Vespasian, ruled when Pompeii was destroyed. Titus was succeeded by his brother, Emperor Domitian, whose reign was one of terror, at least for everyone in close proximity to him.
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Domitian was assassinated, and the Roman Senate, weary of the last several reigns, decided to appoint one of their own, an elderly senator named Nerva, shown above. Nerva was popular within the Roman Senate and a fair and just man by the standards of the day. His surprise ascension might be likened to that of Gerald Ford in our own time.
Nerva (30-98 A.D.) was the first of the Five Good Emperors, and a bas relief bust of him will fit into the niche on the left side of my transom.
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Here you see three busts of Nerva, each one more stylized than the last. We can be certain that Nerva had a cleft chin and a small mouth, and perhaps a rather pinched expression. But determining how he really looked is almost akin to a forensics case.
One thing that has occurred to me is that the center bust appears to use the image of Caesar Augustus as a template. I will use that image, but narrow the head slightly and combine it with the smaller mouths seen in the other two busts.
Here's my version of Nerva. Because of his age (65 was quite advanced by Roman standards) and because he appears to have had a smaller jaw, you will notice that I have given Nerva slightly hollowed cheeks. Next week we'll look at the second of the Five Good Emperors, Trajan.
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Mark I am so fascinated by this work of art and the history behind it. Thank you again for including us in the process! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Hi, Karena,
DeleteI'm glad you're enjoying the process — for me, sharing it is half the fun of doing it! October here in Florida is the fairest month of the year, with temperatures in the mid- to upper seventies — it's going to be a great weekend!
Hello Mark, Good for you for resurrecting the Five Good Emperors, who allowed fairness and reason to direct their power, rather than interest and pique.
ReplyDeleteThese days it seems that there are no heroes. We put historical figures under the magnifying glass to expose both their good and bad sides, then savagely condemn anything of which we don't approve. Therefore, it is an interesting and brave concept to incorporate these portraits into your Pompeii scheme.
--Jim
Hello, Jim,
DeleteMy plan from the beginning was to incorporate Imperial Rome into a Pompeian mural. I doubt if any such thing ever existed in Pompeii itself, but perhaps it did in Rome. And of course my design sense is very much influenced by later interpretations of the genre, especially the Empire, Regency and Biedermeier styles, which often did have royal themes, even as they were interpreted to the middle class.
Even as I extoll these five men, I'm very conscious that their goodness and fairness is relative to their own time, which was pretty brutal. And it can't be easy to effectively rule most of the known world!
Your research continues to be impressive. I'm learning so much from your work here. Cheers
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy incorporating a history into my house. I think that one's house should be a reflection of the owner's personality, and it should also have stories of its own. Clients of Tone on Tone will certainly be imbuing their houses with interesting stories, too.
DeleteDear Mark - I am hoping that Marcus Aurelius will make an appearance in your Pompeian room - I believe that he was considered to be one of the Five Good Emperors - it would seem only fitting that your name sake should be represented.
ReplyDeleteDear Rosemary,
DeleteMarcus Aurelius is a great favorite of mine, and a framed portrait of him hangs in my office/studio. I have read several biographies of him amd keep his meditations on my bookshelf. He was the last of the Five Good Emperors and actually the reason that I conceived of using all five.
I had also considered depicting my five favorite Neoclassic architects, Palladio, Michelangelo, Soane, Schinkel and Jefferson (but then I would have had to omit some pretty big hitters like Bernini and Piranesi).
You are certainly telling a wonderful story with your exterior and interior of your home. I little Neoclassical, a little roman...whats not to love? The Neoclassic architects would have been another great theme as well! Another room....another time!
ReplyDeleteHi, Theresa,
DeleteYes, there are other rooms to paint, and in any event, I would have liked to add Post Modern architects to that list . . .
Dear Mark, A lot has happened in your Pompeian Room while I was away. I'm constantly amazed at your skill and originality of design.
ReplyDeleteDo I see a resemblance in Nerva? The same high forehead, the same mouth, the same eyes and eyebrows and even the same ears. Only your bust looks a little friendlier.
Dear Gina,
DeleteOne of the considerations that I have had to make (and it will apply to each of the five emperors) is of course that I will have to look at these faces on a daily basis! So I am in a sense putting my best face forward!
I do love your interpretation of this good emperor, Mark. He looks fair minded, fatigued and intelligent - all at the same time. :) I even like his name. A good one for a pet cat, too. Come to think of it. :)
ReplyDeleteDear Yvette,
DeleteI enjoyed your comment. The fellow does look careworn, doesn't he? I can't imagine the stress one would endure overseeing an empire so big. In fact, I went to the Oxford English Dictionary to see if there was a connection between "nerva" and "nervous." I discovered that nervous originated as the Latin "nervosus," which meant vigorous. Your fun fact for the day.
You did a great job! I love the Pompeii room!
ReplyDeleteSigned,
One of the last Romans ( my maiden name is Valerius! google us)
-Kaki
Hi, Kaki — I have visited the Little Red Diary and enjoyed your gorgeous selection of images. Beautiful!
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