getting there, eventually
-- but there's always another chapter, & the apple sure tastes good

hmm, we’re supposed to write a paper for my roman art and architecture class, and admittedly i probably should’ve read this article on ‘how to read a roman portrait’ six weeks ago, but now that i’ve read it through and am thinking about a subject for my paper, it brings up some really interesting points

like, it does compare roman to greek portraits (busts/sculptures/statutes), especially the development of realistic/veristic portrayals, and then moving even beyond that with Augustus’s careful synthesis, and basically, the underlying statement of the statement is this: roman portraits are entirely unique (at least, for the time in which they were developed) because not only do they depict someone with a very specific system of characteristics that dictate how it should be interpreted, but it also, a way, engages with the viewer, so that there is a ( i suppose?) somewhat surreal sense of the artwork itself attempting to maintain some self-preservation, and in the process creating tension between the viewer and the work, since it invites the viewer to read into the image and discern the psychological state, or personality traits. 

that was just a really long convoluted way of saying that romans tried to make their portraits (at least in antiquity) lifelike by not just making it the works seem physically like flesh-and-bone, but by attempting to capture the personality of the specific individual depicted and to create a sort of dialogue between the viewer and the work itself.

if that makes sense.

ANYWAYS. i’m thinking of making the topic for my paper on how the ancient romans did their best to try and capture and transmit the personality of the dude sitter through time and place while at the same time not even bothering to give roman women the same consideration. which i’m sure someone’s written on before, but as i technically am limited to three ‘arenas’ (and one small museum) for my paper….

so my cousin goes to a really conservative catholic private school but his dad/my uncle just posted a photo sort of of like, the course listing at parents’ night??? for next year??? (which is weird to me bc we always chose what classes we wanted not our parents?? tho i’m not sure if my cousin’s aready chosen the classes and his dad’s just visiting the apparent order or whatever, WHATEVER, this school is weird) and one of the highlighted/starred courses is AP Art History which of course :’))))) clearly i am a good influence as a favorite cousin

image

i remember thinking the first time watching this movie that his eyes were ridic blue AND THEY STILL ARE THIS TIME AROUND

ineedanumbrella:

chihayafuru chat on aim as per usual, the room’s ‘chihayafridays’ if you wanna join in!