Leiden University Student Repository

Ham, Geert (2023)

Over the garden wall? Artistic appropriation and innovation in the horti of ancient Rome

Research master thesis | History (research) (MA)

The horti, vast aristocratic and imperial estates directly bordering on the city of Rome, are taken as a case study on the appropriation of Hellenistic artistic and architectural styles by Roman elites. Three types of material remains are analysed: architecture, surface art (e.g. mosaics, wall-paintings, veneering), and sculpture. The main conclusion is that many of the Hellenistic motifs and types of art that were imitated in the horti had a highly contextual (and often religious) significance in the Hellenistic world, but that the Roman owners of the horti treated these visual elements as mere decorative elements, while still making use of the intellectual and religious connotations that these had in their original settings. As such, concepts like code-switching and globalisation theory do not seem to adequately explain the Hellenistic elements that are seen in the horti, and we may instead speak of a thorough and far-reaching process of appropriation.

horti

Romans

Rome

Roman art

Roman architecture

Greek art

appropriation

Author

Ham, Geert

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Ancient History

Supervisors

Flohr, M.

ECTS Credits

30

Language

en