Shop our entire Greek and Roman Statue Collection.
Roman
sculpture gained momentum after the conquest of
Greece circa 146 BC although many of the famous
Roman Statues that we know today were actually
inspired by the Greeks. In fact, many wealthy
Romans commissioned copies of Greek Statues to
decorate their villas and gardens. The Romans,
however, did develop their own sense of style
over time. Unlike Greek sculpture which portrayed
people in their ideal form, Roman statues aimed
for a more realistic view.
Consequently, the Romans most significant contribution
to the art of sculpture was realistic portraiture,
in which they recorded even the homeliest facial
details. This style of realistic sculpture probably
originated in the terra-cotta busts of ancestors
which were displayed at the funerals of Roman
aristocrats.
For the most part, Roman statues were used to
decorate public and private buildings and much
of this sculpture was used to honor the ruler,
celebrate victories, or to promote the state and
its governance. Starting with Caesar
Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, sculptors
created idealized statues of the imperial family.
Statue.com is proud to offer an extensive line
of Roman busts in our Roman
and Greek Bust Gallery.
It is also very interesting to note that while
Roman statues survive in great numbers, few names
of Roman sculptors were recorded. For the most
part, Roman statues were typically created to
serve the needs of their patrons rather than to
express the artistic attitudes of their sculptors.
Although Roman statues can be found in many of
our galleries, you will find the largest selection
in our Classical Sculptures Gallery and Life-Size
Sculptures Gallery.
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