Roman Pool
The private residence built by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in San Simeon, California is quite a site to behold. Originally named La Cuesta Encantada it is now often referred to as Hearst Castle. It is located on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Lucia Mountains. The estate took 28 years to build and includes the main house, guest houses, two pools, and acres of gardens, terraces and walkways. Its rooms and gardens are decorated with an impressive collection of antiques from around the world. One particularly interesting building is the Roman Pool.
The Roman Pool at Hearst castle is a tiled indoor pool decorated with eight statues of Roman gods, goddesses and heroes. The pool appears to be styled after an ancient Roman bath such as the Baths of Caracalla in Rome c. 211-17 CE. The mosaic tiled patterns were inspired by mosaics found in the 5 C. Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy (Kastner, p. I-261.) They are also representative of traditional marine monster themes that can be found in ancient Roman baths (Strong, p. 124.) The statues are rough copies of ancient Greek and Roman statues. One such copy represents the "Apoxyomenos." Statuary was used on a considerable scale in the Baths of Caracalla (Strong, p. 124.)
The pool and surrounding room, which were built from 1927-1934, can be compared to an ancient Roman bath. The pool, like the baths, is located indoors. Its water was heated as in a tepidarium. However, in Hearst's complex there were no hot or cold baths as there were in the ancient complex. The Roman Pool complex was designed to contain an exercise room, sweat baths, a handball court and dressing rooms (Cohn/Kastner p. I-258.) The Baths of Caracalla covere...
... middle of paper ...
...ing fingers of the outstretched hand.
We will never know what Hearst was thinking when he created his Roman Pool. Was he hoping to accurately depict an ancient Roman bath, or did he just like Roman art? Overall he kept to a romanticized 1930's version of the Roman theme, with decorations that span three centuries. Looking at the rest of his "castle" leads one to believe that Hearst combined whatever he thought was impressive. This pool is truly impressive.
Works Cited:
Boardman, John. Greek Art. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1964.
Cohn, Leslie and Kastner, Vicki. Roman Pool.
(Information from Hearst Castle P.R. Department)
Hutton, Edward. The Story of Ravenna. London: J.M.Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1926.
Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 1995.
Strong, David. Roman Art. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books, Ltd, 1976.
"Agnes De Mille | IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information." Agnes De Mille | IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
In this Bronze statue, a Roman emperor is shown in a god like state. Like any statues at the times they depicted the ruler in a larger than life state. This specific statue is missing the head and lower part of the right leg. He is rising his right arm while the left is resting on his hip. Its exaggerated proportions depicts the ruler in a perfect state most likely disregarding his actual appearance.
Throughout the ages, many scholars and future-scholars have offered an explanation for the meaning of structures from the ancient years, either by their placement or construction. None has fascinated or pushed scholars for reasons than structures and art of the ancient Romans, more specifically those constructed in the years of the Pax Romana and Crisis and Decline of the Roman Empire (27 BC to 284 AD).
Gladiatorial events were a token of the Roman civilization. A brutal form of sacrifice adapted from the earlier civilization of Etruscans, who believed when a person dies, his spirit relies on a blood sacrifice to survive in the afterlife. The first event to take place in Rome was in 264 BC, when Decimus Brutus held a sacrifice to honor his dead father (Roman Gladiator). Soon after these events became an undeniable part of the Romans lives, used for political power and general entertainment.
...in its entirety depicts Achilles life and significant events. The life of Achilles was an extremely popular subject for Romans as well as the decor of Roman sarcophagi. On the top portion a man and a woman lie on an expensive couch. But oddly enough the heads of the figures were kept unfinished. This is actually a Roman technique in which they leave the faces unfinished to carve faces as portraits of the dead when the sarcophagus was actually purchased. But in the case of this one, no one came to buy it and the faces left untouched. It was a popular custom from about 150 to 250 A.D. For Greeks and romans to use a sarcophagus as means of a burial service. Sarcophagi were produced in large masses but only in a few centers, one of which being Athens. An Athenian sarcophagus was completely carved on all sides and sometimes it was surmounted with figures lying around.
Today, Fallingwater is still standing in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy had to spend a big amount of money in order to preserve and restore this masterpiece. High-strength steel cables were used to strengthen the concrete walls. Cantilevers were added to provide support. This house is considered one of the best houses in the world. It is revolutionary and creative. It included natural aspects that attract the people. Fallingwater is certainly a structure that should be visited.
seating and the easiest access to the Colosseum. Even though many people think that the
This is a copy of the sculpture of Athena Parthenos, dressed in battle attire, that was originally created by Phidias during the period of 447-39 B.C. The statue of Athena Parthenos was to be constructed, not of bronze, but of gold and ivory. The face, arms, and feet of the statue were to be made of ivory and the clothing, of thickly plated gold. The statue was an enormous size that towered thirty-three feet tall. The costly nature of the materials out of which it was designed was intended to overwhelm the viewer, creating a sense of religious awe.
The Ancient Rome painting illustrates a gallery of various paintings, which include the accomplishments and monuments of Ancient Rome. It includes paintings of the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Arc of Constantine, and sculptures of Laocoon, Hercules and many others. This painting serves as a gallery, where there are some people admiring the pieces of art and some appear to be drawing. Among the men included in the painting, Giovanni Panini included himself—standing behind the chair—
statue was found in the Hera's Temple. Contained in the Temple of Zeus was one
Nominated for Tony Award for Best Performance for Featured Actress in a Musical, and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. Awarded Tony Award Best Performance for Featured Actress in a Musical, Audience Award for Best Lead Actress, Best Diva Performance, Best Onstage Pair with Kristin Chenoweth (Idina Menzel, Wikipedia). These are just a few of the achievements in the music and acting world that Idina Menzel has accomplished. Idina’s wonderful talent has led her on a journey of a lifetime, starting as a young girl with an uncontrollable love for music, and becoming a beautifully talented woman who has had so many amazing opportunities.
Hearst Castle, It took 28 years to complete William Randolph Hearst's lavish estate, which includes 165 rooms on 125 acres. Tours include the Greco-Roman style Neptune Pool outdoors and the Roman Pool, an indoor beauty lined with cobalt blue Venetian glass and shimmering gold tiles.The Grand Rooms Tour: An introductory tour of five ground floor rooms in the main house, the 18-room Casa del Sol guest house, the Esplanade and gardens - and admission to the Building the Dream film.The route includes 159 steps, both up and down, and a 2/3-mile walk.Upstairs Suites Tour: Focusing on architecture and art in the main house, this tour takes you upstairs. You'll see the Italian-style Doge's Suite, Duplex Bedrooms, the Celestial Suite, the gardens and
Lord Byron once stated, “While stands the Colosseum, Rome shall stand;/ When falls the Colosseum, Rome shall fall;/ And when Rome falls- the World.” The Colosseum not only depicted the incredible architectural skill of the Romans, but also their superiority to others across the globe. Influencing most of the culture and traditions that has been integrated into our modern society, the Roman Empire is a stimulating model of how a single cultural group could shift the architectural world forever. Although inspired by the Greeks, the Roman style is entirely independent and distinct from all others; the Colosseum is only one of many of their historical masterpieces.
Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is a magical experience that epitomizes the name of Broadway. The set, costumes, music, lights and choreography are nothing short of divine.
Even the few sculptor’s names known to us, usually by chance, from the imperial period are Greek names and seem to confirm the assumption that these artists’ work should be regarded simply as a late phase of Greek art” (Hanfmann, 12). The Greeks were the first western culture to figure out how to accurately depict the human form which they did through the use of geometric ratios. It is also widely accepted that it was even Greek artists who first made marble portraits for the Romans as the Romans originally had no skill with the stone. “It was certainly at first Greek artists who were entrusted by eminent Romans with the execution of portraits of themselves and of important personalities in the Roman state, just as it was Greeks who depicted Aemilius Paulus victory at Pydna and later were largely responsible for the portraits of the emperors” (Kahler 16). The Romans mainly used terracotta for their sculptures and it was only when Augustus reigned that the marble quarries at Carrara were opened and marble was used on a large scale. The Romans inherited the use of realistic proportions, the sense of movement (contrapposto), and the overall beauty of Greek sculptures. A great example of Roman sculpture that was clearly carved by a Greek artist who was familiar with the Hellenistic styles of Greece, is the Relief of the Wedding of Amphitrite and Neptune. It “shows a mythological