In my last posting I dedicated a dining room bust to the Emperor Nerva. His predecessors had been so cruel and tyrannical, and Nerva was so just by comparison, that he was perceived by the army to be weak. Fearing his own assassination, Nerva adopted the popular Trajan, a general of Spanish origin, and named him his successor. Nerva thereby placated the restless army, and soon thereafter died peacefully in his sleep.
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| click to enlarge | map by Mark D. Ruffner |
Trajan (53-117 A.D.), a soldier-emperor, was regarded in his own time as the best of Roman emperors, and his reputation has endured. The Roman Empire reached its maximum territory under his reign, and if you click on the map above, you can see the extent of what he controlled. Trajan inaugurated public works and social welfare, and presided at a time of peace and prosperity. The Roman Senate would venerate all future emperors with the words, "Be luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan."
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| en.wikipedia.org | trauwerk.stanford.com | artflakes.com |
Almost all images of Trajan reveal a commanding figure with a low brow and a stern countenance. For my transom bas relief, I've chosen the image on the right. I like it because it's a little softer, yet shows someone who must have been very calculating.
Here's my version of the Emperor Trajan. And below is a perspective of the finished transom.
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| click to enlarge |
By now you may have figured out that the remaining three of the Five Good Emperors will each be painted above one of the three muses on the other walls of my room. I hope you join me for my next posting and the fun of another imperial portrait!
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I posted earlier about a modern typeface called "Trajan," based on the inscription of the famous Trajan Column. You can find it
here. Appropriately, the incised names of "Nerva" and "Trajan" are in the Trajan font, which I expanded for spacing.
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Mark all of your historical studies and the background work (down to the fonts) are so fascinating. I love the way this room is becoming an incredible work or art!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Hi, Karena!
DeleteI grew up with a marvelous book entitled "Great Houses of Italy," and fell in love with the historic interiors. Maybe my subconscious is reaching back to that book to deliver instant historic decor!
You are such a talented artist! I'd love to see you in action.....share a short video of you at work!
ReplyDeleteHi, Loi, and thanks for the compliment! I won't be sharing a video of me at work, but I'd like you to picture me wearing a tuxedo and patent leather slippers as I paint, with a bottle of champagne close at hand.
DeleteIf that sounds like a fabrication, I'll tell you this truth — I like to paint listening alternately to CDs of Chant (Gregorian chants by the monks of Santo Domingo de Silos), Deuter, Ottmar Liebert and Nicholas Gunn. The last three artists produce highly evocative work and if you're not familiar with them, I recommend them highly. They seem to help the flow of my own work . . .
Dear Mark - I have just referred back to your post 'Pompeii No.30: The Transom Solutions' in order to compare the 'before' and 'after' - you have done a brilliant transformation, even down to that small notch in the stone above Emperor Trajan's head.
ReplyDeleteIt must be 20 years since I was in Pompeii or Rome but your posts are making me wish to return. If I saw Trajan's Column today I would have a far greater appreciation of it having learnt so much more from your post.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteAs I said in a much earlier posting, I discovered that the masonry was more believeable with all the straight lines in tact and just a few nicks here and there, though I also played around with the idea of much more texture and aging on the surface areas. In the end, I decided that extra texture would not be in keeping with the rest of the mural, and perhaps would even be distracting. Thanks for enjoying the transformation!
Hello Mark, Some of those Roman portraits are startling in the way they seem to show living, actual people, who could be walking around now, even with the same hairstyle, jewelry, etc. (Although probably not the same clothes!) Most earlier portraits (and the majority of later ones, for that matter) are too idealized, and don't seem like someone that I might know or could possibly meet.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello, Jim.
DeleteYears ago, when I was still wearing knickers, Horizon Magazine did a very clever photographic article that played with the very observation that you've made. As I recall, there were two columns of images, one column being photos of Roman busts, and a parallel column matching the busts to then-current celebrities. It was laughably accurate, and brought home the realization that, yes, these stoic faces had been real personalities.
Am I correct to surmise from a comment at another blog that you are living back in the States now?
Hi again, I'm not sure what comment that could have been; I am as before living in Taiwan. Perhaps I said something about enjoying the Fall. I still do, I just can't experience it personally over here, so I am doubly-pleased to experience autumn vicariously via people's blogs and beautiful photographs. --Jim
DeleteLiving in Florida, I enjoy fall vicariously as well. The strnagest thing about a Florida autumn is that sometimes it more closely resembles a Northern spring!
DeleteDear Mark, From now on I see you painting your Pompeian Room wearing a tuxedo and patent leather slippers and sipping champagne. Friends all around giving you encouragement and helping you finish another bottle or two.
ReplyDeleteIt's all looking too wonderful. What a project and what fantastic results.
Dear Gina,
DeleteThanks for keeping that image in your mind, so much better than a tee shirt and old swimming trunks!
Hello Mark. It's your attention to detail that is making this project such a splendid success and so much fun to follow. Right down to the choice of font!
ReplyDeleteHello, Barbara,
DeleteI'm having fun rediscovering Roman history — and art history, too — as all this unfolds!