The realism of Roman sculpture
In cooperation with Amsterdam University Association (AUV)
Roman sculpture is famous for its realism, which contrasts with the idealism of the Greeks. Nigel Spivey, a Senior Lecturer in Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, will explain why the Romans chose this style. And how can modern neuropsychology help us in understanding historical sculpture and paintings? Professor of Classical Archeology Eric Moormann will act as moderator.
In his lecture Nigel Spivey will discuss why the Romans opted for this realistic style. How do we perceive people and how can insights from neuropsychology help us to explain the ways we perceive others? It looks as if the human mind perceives persons caricaturally, in order to remember faces. This fact sheds new light on the development of Etruscan and Roman portraiture, but also on the paintings of Rembrandt.
Eric Moormann will introduce Spivey. There will be time for questions from the audience after the lecture.
About the speakers
Nigel Spivey is Senior Lecturer in Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Cambridge. He studied in Rome en Pisa, en was a fellow at the Getty Research Institute and the Australian National University. He has published extensively on Greek and Etruscan art and Greek mythology (Etruscan art 1997, Greek art 1997, Songs on Bronze: Greek myths retold 2005, The Ancient Olympics 2012, and Greek Sculpture 2013). He was editor of the Cambridge Review between 1994 and 1998, and freelance writer for the Financial Times between 1988 and 2000. He also made a number of television series: How Art Made The World (BBC) and Digging for Jesus (ITV).
Eric Moormann is full professor of Classical Archaeology at the Radboud University Nijmegen. Moormann’s research covers the study of ancient wall and floor decorations as well as ancient sculpture. Two books recently published on these topics are about the Golden House of Nero at Rome (with P.G.P. Meyboom; Peeters, Louvain 2013) and about wall decorations in Roman temples (Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam 2011).
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