At its height, the Roman Empire extended over vast regions. Britain is among the territories that came under Roman rule. When they conquered Britain, the Romans introduced the local communities to various elements of Roman life (Salway 2015). For example, Roman art and architecture penetrated the British community. Evidence of Roman influences on British life exists. Various works of art are among the items that shed light on how the Romans shaped life in Britain. This paper seeks to explore the influences that the Romans had on British life. It does this by examining three pieces of art from the Roman period.
The first piece is a Rudston villa mosaic that has been traced to the 3rd century AD while the second piece is of a stone head carved from sandstone. This item is believed to have been created in the 4th century. The third artwork is a Dragonesque booch that depicts the head of a man. The three artworks shed light on the nature of art and the materials that artists used to create their pieces. While the three pieces are different, they reveal that British art borrowed heavily from Roman influences. One of the features that defined British art during the Roman period was the adoption of the mosaic style (“Art of the Roman” n.d). This is the style that the artist behind the first image described above adopted. Another component of British art during this period was the creation of pieces of art that mimicked human figures. For instance, it was common for artists to sculpt emperors and goddesses (“6. Technology and the Arts” n.d). As already mentioned, third artwork depicts a booch that takes the form of a human head. The fact that British art in the Roman period was characterized by pieces that paid tribute to the human form serves as evidence that this third artwork is from the Roman period. The second artwork shows a stone head. It is suspected that this piece represents some local deity. As Rome conquered new lands, it introduced the local populations to their religious beliefs and practices. Art was used to demonstrate adoration for the deities. Since the second piece represents a local deity, it can be argued that the piece is indeed from the Roman period. The discussion so far has made it clear that the nature of British art during the Roman period was defined by the foreign Roman influences.
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In addition to shedding light on the nature of art in Britain during the Roman period, the artworks discussed above also offer insights into the materials used by artists. The three artworks are made using some sort of rock. It appears that artists embraced various rocks as their preferred material for creating their artworks. Evidence for this can be found in the fact that Romans introduced the British to such new technologies as extraction (“6. Technology and the Arts” n.d). Through this technology, the British were able to obtain the rocks that artists used. Foreign and classical influences are not the only issues that the three artworks mentioned above shed light on. These pieces also highlight the role that local influences played in shaping British art. In an attempt to distinguish their style from the art adopted in other areas, the artists in such British regions as Celtic adopted a unique style (“Celts Art and Identity” n.d). For instance, abstract art forms which were defined by intricate details were adopted. The first and the second artwork contain details that may have been intended to highlight the local influences on British culture. It can be argued that the primary purpose of these details is to shed light on the fact that well before the Roman conquest, the British people had already developed their own artistic style and identity.
In conclusion, the Romans transformed the lives of the communities that they conquered. In Britain, they redefined the artistic space. As a result of Roman influences, British artists embraced new styles. They began experimenting with new materials and techniques. This is not to say that these artists abandoned their roots. The artists merely integrated foreign concepts and styles into their own techniques. British art during the Roman period provides lessons regarding the need for infusing one’s artistic style with new methods.
References
Art of the Roman Provinces, 1-500 A.D., n.d, Viewed 10th May 2017 from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gaul/hd_gaul.htm
Celts Art and Identity, n.d, Viewed 10th May 2017 from http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/celts/art.aspx
Salway, P, 2015, Roman Britain: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Technology and the Arts in Roman Britain, n.d., Viewed 10th May 2017 from http://www.iadb.co.uk/romans/main.php?P=6
