Throughout history, Rome has been renowned as a place for art. The streets of the Italian capital are full of iconic sculptures created by some of the world’s greatest artists. While Roman art flourished during the reign of Augustus, its origins predate this period with several iconic works created by Ancient Roman painters.
The Romans were recognized for their enjoyment of life’s luxuries. They were known for their passionate fights, appreciation of wine, and admiration of beauty. Art became a way to immortalize the physical attractiveness of the world in tangible form, allowing it to be appreciated indefinitely.
Several different art forms were practiced across the territory of the Romans, with the highest form, according to the Roman citizens, being figure painting. However, most of the finer techniques used by Ancient Roman painters actually had their roots in Ancient Greece.
Ancient Rome must have been home to a plethora of skilled painters. However, records of only a few have survived the burnt of time. Let’s look at nine Ancient Roman painters and their legacy:
1: Famulus
Famulus, also known as Amulius, is one of the earliest artists in Europe with a surviving contemporary biography. Famulus and his assistants painted frescoes over a significant portion of the wall in the Domus Aurea, which was commissioned by Emperor Nero.
The influence of the frescoes in Domus Aurea on Renaissance artists was significant, which is most noticeable in Raphael’s work in decorating the loggias at the Vatican.
The artistic elements such as white walls, delicate swags, and the frieze with framed reserves containing figures or landscapes have been implemented repeatedly across various art movements.
This style resurfaced again in the late 18th century during Neoclassicism, which establishes Famulus as one of the most impactful painters throughout art history.
2: Pacuvius
Pacuvius was a tragic poet and highly skilled painter. He was the nephew and pupil of Ennius, another poet. Ennius alone was responsible for advancing the field of tragic poetry to new levels. According to reports, Pacuvius was a kind and unassuming person; nonetheless, he possessed a serious and passionate nature.
During the first century BCE, Pacuvius’s plays were highly praised. His works contributed to elevating painting as a more esteemed profession through “the glory of the stage.”
It is believed that he painted set designs for his plays and thus increased the popularity of his artwork. Alternatively, his status as a respected poet might have enhanced the reputation of his paintings and painting as a whole. However, it appears that after his era, painting as a profession lost its prestige in the upper echelons of Roman society.
The most renowned paintings by Pacuvuis are in the temple of Hercules in the Forum Boarium.
3: The Malibu Painter
The Malibu Painter remains anonymous. However, his legacy is remembered through the name coined in recognition of the female portrait from his artwork, Believed to have been created between 75 and 100 AD. This captivating portrait now resides in a museum in Malibu.
His inspiration stemmed from the famous mummy portraits that had a significant presence throughout the Roman province of Egypt during that era.
His artistic style was distinctive due to the deft way he used shadow and highlight techniques in his portraits, especially in the portrayal of mouths and noses. Two of his masterpieces were discovered in Hawara, Egypt.
4: Iaia
Iaia was a renowned female artist in Ancient Rome, excelled not only in painting but also in ivory engraving. Her paintings mainly revolved around women, with her most famous works featuring an old woman and a self-portrait.
There were rumors that she had romantic relationships with other women, which could have been why she never married. Iaia’s exceptional talent and speed made her faster and more skilled than her male contemporaries, allowing her to earn more money than them.
5: Publius Aelius Fortunatus
Publius Aelius Fortunatus, a painter who lived during the second century AD, was once a slave before being granted his freedom. It was uncommon for a slave to find their way out of slavery, and even rare for them to pursue an art as sophisticated as painting.
However, Fortunatus defied the odds and gained considerable notoriety due to his status as a former slave, as well as the fact that some of his paintings still exist today. The memory of the former slave turned painter is kept alive in the city of Rome with an epitaph of great renown.
6: Gaius Fabius Pictor
Gaius Fabius Pictor, a member of the prominent Fabii family, is one of the earliest painters whose surviving work has stood the test of time. His work is estimated to have been created around 304 BC, with a gap of approximately 150 years before the next surviving works from Roman painters.
Despite his title as “Pictor”, he faced social stigma due to painting being viewed unfavorably as a profession during his era. Consequently, his profession as a painter caused his family to consider him a disgrace.
He notably painted scenes of the battle where Bubulcus gained victory over the Samnites inside the Temple of Salus. However, the temple was eventually destroyed in an imperial fire during Emperor Gaius’ reign.
7: Arellius
Arellius was a renowned painter in ancient Rome who focused mainly on depicting popular figures of his time. He was active during the first century BC, before the reign of Augustus.
Despite being highly esteemed, he faced criticism for his artwork, particularly for his technique of incorporating the traits of his beloved women into the faces of Roman goddesses in his paintings.
One of his critics went as far as to accuse him of making his painted Roman goddesses look like prostitutes from the streets, due to the resemblance.
8: Quintus Pedius
Quintus Pedius, the renowned Roman painter, is historically recorded as the first deaf person. His grandfather was the consul Quintus Pedius and son of orator and Roman Senatory Quintus Pedius Publicola.
Pedius was born deaf, but with the support of his great uncle Corvinus and the approval of Emperor Augustus, his second maternal cousin, he picked up painting. Despite his undeniable talents as a painter, his life was cut short at the youthful age of 13.
9: Spurius Tadius
During the Augustan era, Spurius Tadius gained notoriety for his skillful murals depicting landscapes. His most celebrated pieces captured the picturesque beauty of villas and ports. He is referred to by different names in some manuscripts, including Studius and Ludius.
Conclusion
Although early ancient Romans did not fully appreciate painting, it gained high appreciation in later eras. Unfortunately, due to several circumstances, numerous paintings were destroyed and many talented painters remained anonymous. Today, only records and descriptions of the paintings remain as a reminder of their once magnificent existence.