Portrait of an Older Woman
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to look closely at a Roman sculpture and learn the historic significance and a timeless parallel to respecting one’s elders. Students will brainstorm and select an elder from their family, school, or community who’s important to them. Students will showcase their admirable elder’s qualities through creative writing or the medium of clay (option to do this with drawing or collage).
Introduction
Roman Matron, 50–60 CE. Roman Empire. Marble. The William Hood Dunwoody Fund. 32.16
This statue is now thought to represent an unidentified Roman matron. The hairstyle is a feature often used to date ancient Roman female portraits. This sculpture’s hairstyle corresponds to a fashion during Nero’s reign (54–68 CE).
The realistic depiction of the woman’s face contrasts with the gracefully flowing, deeply carved folds of the clothing, a characteristic of late Greek (Hellenistic) sculpture.
This subtle combination of realism and idealism was common in portraiture of the Roman Republic and Empire, particularly during the reigns of the Julio-Claudian emperors (27–68 CE) and Hadrian (117–138 CE).
Warm-Up Questions
- • What do you notice first about the sculpture? What else do you see?
- • How would you describe this sculpture to a friend?
- • Pose like the sculpture. How do you feel in this position? Does that change how you see the sculpture? Why?
Background
Sculpture Portraiture
Left: Roman Matron (detail), 50–60 CE. Roman Empire. Marble. The William Hood Dunwoody Fund. 32.16. Right: Realistic details, like the mole to the left of her eye, suggest that this is the face of a real person.
Who is this woman? Her name will never be known.
The sculpture gives enough information about her facial expression and details that we feel we would recognize her in person.
- Turn and Talk: Describe her. What do you think is her emotion? What do you see that makes you say that?
This sculpture is unique as it shows signs of aging. You might notice that there are slight bags under her eyes and loose muscle tone around her mouth. This tells us that she is at least middle aged.
Roman portraits are well known for showing people as they really appeared. A face full of wrinkles and scars revealed a life of overcoming difficult experiences. A Roman man earned virtue on the battlefield or in politics. A Roman woman earned virtue by being faithful, pure, and patient through challenges.
An older person has endured more than a younger person, so signs of age are signs of virtue. Many portraits like this one were made at a person’s death as memorials in family tombs. Because this one is carved on all sides, scholars think it more likely stood in a public area, possibly in the city of Pompeii where it is thought to have been found.
Hairstyle in Roman Portraits
The unusual hairstyle this woman wears was popular among elite women around the time Nero was emperor in the first century A.D.
Elite women of the Roman Empire followed the hairstyle favored by the current empress. Scholars can match styles seen in portraits with images of the empress found on the coins of the realm. The hairstyle on this woman dates her to the time of the emperor Nero, around 60–70 CE.
This woman’s hair reveals more than just the fashion of the time. It also tells us that she was a woman of wealth. She could afford to spend hours having her hair done with the help of a servant. Elaborate hairstyles were an important status symbol for both men and women in the ancient Roman Empire.
Tight curls like these were formed with a tool called a calamister, much like a modern curling iron. Hair was wound around a solid cylinder of wood or metal. Another cylinder of hollow metal was heated on a fire, then wrapped around the hair to form the curl. It must have been a long and painful process.
- Turn and Talk: How do you suppose this process would feel?
Roman Empire Inspired by Greek Art
The Tiber Muse, 2nd–1st century BCE. Roman Empire. Marble. The John R. Van Derlip Fund. 56.12. This Greek sculpture was found near Rome. The flowing folds of cloth in the skirt are typical of late Greek sculpture.
The face belongs to a particular individual. The hairstyle belongs to a particular decade. But the body, covered head to toe with drapes of clothing, is less specific.
Upper-class women of ancient Rome would have dressed in the style seen here. She would have worn an ankle-length dress called a stola with a length of fabric called a palla wrapped around her shoulders. This palla covered her head when she was out in public, much like a veil.
Women dressed this way throughout the history of the Roman Empire, and Greek women had dressed similarly for centuries before. In fact, the garments seen here may have been copied from a Greek sculpture.
Romans greatly admired Greek culture. Many Greek statues stood in the gardens of great Roman estates. Romans hired Greek artists to create copies of sculptures. Greek sculptures tended to show the human body in its ideal form, free of imperfections. Sometimes portraits of Romans, shown with their individual flaws, were added to bodies copied from Greek examples.
Why would a Roman woman want to be shown with her head on a Greek body? Just as the lines on her face revealed her character, and her hairstyle displayed loyalty to a ruler, a body from the Greek past carried meaning as well. It connected her with the timeless perfection of the gods and goddesses themselves.
Activity
Materials
- Clay or Model Magic
- Toothpick (optional)
- Index Card
- Markers, crayons, and colored pencils for drawing (for drawing option)
- Paper, magazines, newspapers, and scrapbook paper (for collage option)
Guided Practice
Take a moment to think of an elder in your family, school, or community whom you admire. Turn and talk with your peers.
- Whom do you admire?
- Why are they important to you?
- How would you describe them to a friend?
If you have time, discuss further:
- Why is it important to respect our elders?
- What can we learn from our elders?
Now think of those describing words you chose. How might you put that into writing? How might you create a sculpture that showcases their best qualities? Maybe there is an animal that aligns with their personality and qualities.
Sculpt them using clay. Get creative with your artwork. You can adapt this for drawing or collage, depending on time and resources.
Instructions
- 1. Discuss with other students the elder you admire and why.
- 2. Take time to free write about the person you selected. This could last three to five minutes.
- 3. Take clay or Model Magic and begin to sculpt the qualities you admire.
Reflection
Share your writing and/or artwork with a small group or your whole class. Talk about the person you picked, why you chose them, and what qualities you wanted to exhibit in your sculpture.
Return to the following questions below and reflect:
- Why is it important to respect our elders?
- What can we learn from our elders?
Additional Learning Activities
Thank You Card | Writing and Creativity
Write and design a thank you note for the elder you selected in the above activity, or perhaps there is another elder you have in mind. Write a message of gratitude to them.
At the Museum | Close Looking and Creative Writing
Compare the Roman Matron with a number of other examples of Roman portrait sculpture. Choose one of the other sculptures and write an imagined conversation between it and the Roman Matron.
Minnesota State Standards
Social Studies
3.4.18.1 Identify various ways that different cultures have expressed concepts of time and space.
3.4.22.1 Describe how groups or individuals from ancient times helped shape the world around them and identify their impact today.
Visual Arts
5.0.4.7.1–5.9.4.7.1 Respond: Analyze and construct interpretations of artistic work.
5.0.5.9.1–5.5.5.9.1 Connect: Integrate knowledge and personal experiences while responding to, creating, and presenting artistic work.