Daily Updates
Week Four: 13 October
13 October. Julie Chang Reporting:
Today we went to the Palazzo Massimo, a National Museum in Rome, for the other half of student presentations. Thea presented first with the statue of the General of Tivoli, which combined Old Republican portraiture characteristics with features of the Hellenistic hero. We moved along chronologically and were presented with Livia Drusilla by Kelsey. Livia popularized a hair movement in portraiture known as the nodus, a dramatic hair effect at the frontal hairline. Craig gave his presentation on Augustus Pontifex Maximus, a quite famous statue of a togate and vellate Augustus. Vespasian was presented in his idealized and unidealized forms by a sick Johnny (a cold is going around), and was quickly followed by Kyle who continued with Domitian. Jackie gave us a description of the bust of Hadrian along with a bust of his wife, and his male lover. The last presentation was given by Charlie on Antoninus Pius. We were allowed to wander the museum before concluding our excursion there and many of us saw the statue of the Discobolus, a bronze statue of Dionysis, and a sarcophagus with elaborate relief work. Elizabeth joined us as we continued upstairs to the wall paintings from the Villa of Livia. These paintings depict garden scenes that imitate the outdoors, great for the winter and dreary days. We finished for the day and the students scattered about Rome.
Thea and the frescoes from the Villa of Livia
Johnny
Craig
Dionysis
The group
Kelsey
Sabina, Hadrian's wife
Frescoes from the Villa of Livia.
Sarcophagus
Kyle
Jackie
The Discobolus
The group.