The Etruscans

big idea

The Etruscans were a distinct culture with highly accomplished artists, and influenced the culture, art, and architecture of ancient Rome.

1. Period and Location: The Etruscans

In this lesson, you will explore the years from 515 BC to the 1st century BC. It’s important to note that the Etruscan artwork covered in this lesson comes from these years. The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC.

The timeline below highlights the period covered in this lesson:

Below is a map highlighting the Italian peninsula, the geographic region that is the focus of this lesson. Note that the blue oval encompasses the Etruscan civilization.

2. Etruscan Temple

Etruscan temple architecture closely resembled that of the Greek temples, with some crucial differences. One of the main differences is a ridgepole, or a ridged element at the top of Etruscan temples, and was often decorated with sculpture. Then Etruscan temples were elevated onto a podium, which is an elevated platform. This was not used very much in Greek temples, but also Romans use it in their temples.

terms to know

Ridgepole

The ridged element at the top of Etruscan temples.

Podium

An elevated platform.

3. “Reclining Couple”

The Etruscan civilization, or Etruria, was located between the Tiber and Arno rivers right next to where the Roman civilization developed. Eventually they were conquered by the Romans, but the civilization wasn’t destroyed. The Etruscans were very accomplished artists and shared stylistic characteristics with the Greeks.

did you know

The Etruscan civilization wasn’t eliminated after they were conquered, but rather was absorbed into the Roman civilization.

EXAMPLE

Below is a terra-cotta sarcophagus of a man and woman from 520 BC. The first thing that stands out is their relaxed and informal pose and the use of the archaic smile, just like we see in the archaic sculpture of ancient Greece.

The depiction of the man and woman together supports the Etruscan notion of women being more equal with men as opposed to the relegation of women to second class individuals within Greek society.

did you know

Etruscan women could attend public events, such as symposia, or ancient events where people got together and lounged, chatted, or gathered. They could also attend sporting events. Greek women could not attend those things.

Now, the happy depiction on sarcophagi didn’t last. In fact, after the conquest by the Romans there are examples such as the “Sarcophagus of Lars Pulena,” which shows an interesting juxtaposition of a single reclining figure on the lid--just a man, no wife--with side reliefs showing him being attacked by demons. Scholars have suggested this may reflect the politics of the time and the unhappiness with the decline of Etruscan civilization, which is an interesting comparison to the happy couple we see above.

terms to know

Archaic Smile

The stiff, unnaturalistic facial expression seen in many archaic Kouros and Kore figures

Sarcophagus

A stone coffin, often decorated with sculpture

4. “Tomb of the Leopards”

The Etruscans did not limit themselves to sculpture. They were accomplished painters as well.

Take a look at this fresco from the “Tomb of the Leopards”:

This recalls the stylistic conventions of ancient Egypt, such as the flat, two-dimensional images and the combination of perspectives, as well as the side view for the body and frontal view for the eye, which is all very similar to what we saw in Egyptian depictions of people.

5. “Tomb of the Reliefs”

The Etruscan tombs may suggest an idea of the afterlife similar to that of the Egyptian religion, where the dead were entombed with the comforts of the living to ensure a pleasurable afterlife.

In this image below of the “Tomb of the Reliefs”, the actual objects are carved in stucco and rendered in low relief.

term to know

Stucco

A plaster used for coating wall surfaces.

Low Relief

A type of relief sculpture in which the three-dimensional element only extends from the wall surface a little bit.

6. “Capitoline Wolf”

The Etruscans were also masters in bronze work, an example of which is shown here:

The image above is the “Capitoline Wolf” from about 500 BC. It is one of the most famous examples of bronze work from this time period.

did you know

Originally the “Capitoline Wolf” would have been only a wolf, as the wolf was thought to have held some symbolic importance among the Etruscans. The twin babies, Romulus and Remus, the founder twins of Rome, were added during the Renaissance and recall the legend of their birth and rearing by a mother wolf.

7. “Chimera”

The “Chimera” below is another great example of the skill that Etruscan artists possessed. Sometimes this broken sculpture is referred to as the “Wounded Chimera,” and it is from 4th century BC.

The above depiction of the mythical chimera shows it with a serpent’s tail, body of a lion, and a goat head emerging from its back. It is an interesting blend of realism and stylized elements. There are several characteristics that are naturalistic:

• The musculature
• The pose
• The suggestion of ribs beneath the skin

• The mane
• The whiskers on its muzzle
• Hair along the spine

8. “Aule Metele”

Below is the “Aule Metele,” known as “The Orator,” from 1st century BC, and it is in bronze also.

This is one of the latest samples of Etruscan artwork. It clearly shows the influence that the Romans had on the Etruscan civilization, which was fully absorbed by the Romans at this point.

Distinct Roman stylistic elements can be seen in the “Aule Metele”:

• The dress or the clothing
• The pose
• The physical features, such as the close-cropped hair

did you know

The only thing truly Etruscan in the “Aule Metele” is the name. In a way, it’s sort of symbolic of the way in which the Etruscan civilization dissolved into and melded with the Roman civilization. It’s almost as if the figure is waving goodbye.