Maison Carrée and Augustus of Prima Porta: Roman Art
Maison Carrée: A Roman Temple in Nîmes
Construction and Architectural Features
May 2 – The Maison Carrée is a well-preserved Roman temple in Nîmes, France, exemplifying Roman temple architecture. It incorporates elements from Etruscan temples, such as a high podium, a prominent main facade, and a deep portico. The temple’s rectangular form and interior division also reflect Etruscan influences.
The temple stands on a podium, accessible only by a main stairway. The portico features slender Corinthian columns, 6 to 17 meters tall, supporting an entablature with a three-banded architrave. A frieze and a cornice, now lost, likely adorned the entablature, along with a triangular pediment.
The side walls feature engaged Corinthian columns, mostly attached to the cella wall. The frieze displays floral decoration on one side, now lost on the front. The temple is enclosed by a double-sloped roof. It is a pseudodipteral temple (with engaged columns) of rectangular shape. It has a hexastyle portico (6 columns) of monumental scale, with four additional freestanding columns on each side of the portico. Inside, there is only one cella. The temple has no openings to the exterior and no internal divisions. The front of the temple is clearly prioritized.
Dedication and Function
3 – The temple was built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa in honor of Emperor Augustus and his family. It was later dedicated to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, sons of Augustus’ daughter Julia and Agrippa. The temple’s purpose was to honor and exalt the gods and to unify the various Roman provinces. It played a significant role in promoting Roman religion throughout the empire.
Augustus of Prima Porta: An Imperial Portrait
Artistic Influences and Style
August – Roman sculpture is characterized by two main features: historical relief and portraiture. The Augustus of Prima Porta exemplifies the latter. Initially, Roman portraiture was influenced by Etruscan funerary sculpture and the realistic trend of Hellenistic Greek statuary. However, during the imperial period, it adopted the idealism inherent in classical Greek sculpture, as seen in this statue.
The statue depicts the emperor standing, dressed in a tunic and barefoot. He wears a cuirass (breastplate) with carved reliefs and a military cloak called a paludamentum, draped around his waist and held by his left arm, creating a diagonal line. His right arm is raised in a gesture of authority. At his right leg, a figure of Cupid riding a dolphin provides support for the marble statue (the original bronze version would not have needed this support).
The statue follows the Greek model of the Doryphoros by Polykleitos, employing the contrapposto stance and the ideal canon of proportions (the head is one-seventh of the total height). Unlike the Greek model, the face does not reflect idealized beauty but rather the emperor’s individual features (though rejuvenated), capturing a psychological portrait. Realism is also evident in the folds of the drapery and the detailed reliefs on the cuirass. The sculpture is designed to be viewed from a single perspective. The original was likely painted in bright colors.
Purpose and Iconography
3 – The statue portrays Emperor Augustus in military attire, as if addressing his troops. It served as a tool for glorifying the emperor and for political propaganda. The cuirass features reliefs of gods and scenes related to the emperor’s military achievements. It includes representations of two provinces, his stepson, and Apollo and Diana, the protective deities of the imperial house. Cupid riding a dolphin symbolizes the divine ancestry of Caesar.