Gatherings depicted in           Ancient Roman & Christian European Paintings

04/03/2025

Introduction

Both ancient Roman art, as well as ancient Christian European art, served purpose and importance in the art world. With art from ancient Rome, there was emphasis in realism, and a focus in bettering the functionality of architecture. With art from ancient Christian Europe, existed a spotlight on Christianity, and the role in which religion played onto European society as a whole. While there is contrast when comparing the art from both time periods, art from both ancient Rome and ancient Christian Europe often depicted one of the oldest documented forms of socialization: gatherings. 


Gatherings in Ancient Rome and Christian Europe 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word gathering as “a coming together of people in a group (as for social, religious, or political purposes)”. When a form of gathering is depicted in art, it represents conversation and unity, or sometimes lack thereof. In Ancient Roman art, common forms of gatherings depicted were banquets, processions, and public presentation (ex: assemblies, meetings, spectacles, etc). In Christian European art, common forms of gatherings depicted were inspired by biblical tales, such as Christ’s crucifiction, the Last Supper, and other events and rituals from Christianity and of Christ + his disciples. While art from both time periods experimented with various forms of mediums, this blog will focus on two of his paintings : the Villa of Mysteries from the ancient Roman period, & the Pentecost from the ancient Christian Europe period. 

 

Villa of Mysteries

The Villa of Mysteries is a Second Style fresco painting from the Dionysiac frieze from the walls of Pompeii’s road to Herculanuem, painted before 79 CE, and stands in Greece at 15 x 22 feet. Pompeii’s Villa of Mysteries is known for its illusionistic aspects, as it is an example of megalographia, a Greek term meaning life-size paintings. The Villa of Mysteries depicts a group of people believed to be a cult from the Dionysian time period, as they have a young woman prepare of an arranged marriage through ritual. This kind of gathering is reflective of the ancient Roman time period because Roman art was known for its larger-than-life feel. The Villa of Mysteries creates an engaging atmosphere between the painting itself and its viewer a/or audience, in the way that it is not a stand alone painting, but rather an active mural that surrounds every corner of the space, making the viewer feel as if they are right there in the painting. 


Pentecost

The Pentecost is a painting done by Ms.Ludwig VII 1, in 1030-1040, and currently resides in the Getty Musuem of Resenburg, Germany. The Pentecost was made with tempura colors, golden leaves, ink on parchment, and measures to 23.2 x 16 cm. The Pentecost depicts Act 2 of the bible of Christianity, as the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles forms tongues of fire.The Holy Spirit, depicted as a dove in this retelling of the tale, calls on the Apostles, to preach about the rise and crucifiction of Christ. The forming of a gathering is depicted here, so it is told, is of the Holy Spirit’s calling to the Apostles, and how the calling was performed in multiple languages, resulting in the attendance and mutual cultural understanding between the people of Jerusalem and other nations. This kind of gathering is reflective of the ancient Christian Europe time period, because those who attended the crucifiction and rise of Christ were vastly different from one another, background-wise, and yet the Pentecost shows of their unity as they came together for an historical event, even if the sense of unity was only temporary.



Conclusion

From the Pentecost, we can see that the main feature in ancient Christian Europe was religion and tradition. Here, It is expressed visually through depiction of a group of people below, focusing on a greater thing looking down on them from above (no pun attended). From the Villa of Mysteries, we can see that the main feature in ancient Roman art was community vs disparity. While some depictions of gatherings in art were done in the name of unity, others showcased instances where there was lack thereof. Here, it is expressed visually via mural, which compliments well with other larger-than-life-like art from its time, done in mediums such as vast catacombs, walls, mosaics, etc.


 

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