Art of the Roman Empire: AD 100-450

The book investigates the role of the visual arts in the religious conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, discussing power, death, society, acculturation, and religion. It presents a fresh and challenging interpretation of an extraordinarily rich cultural crucible, with a new discussion of the Eurasian context and updated illustrations.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 336 pages
\n Publication date: 10 May 2018
\n Publisher: Oxford University Press
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The transformation from Imperial Rome to the late antiquity period, marked by the Roman Empire's religious conversion to Christianity, witnessed remarkable and pioneering developments in Western culture. In this captivating book, Jas Elsner delves into the profound influence of visual arts, encompassing a wide range of paintings, statues, luxury arts, and masonry, as both reflections and agents of these transformative changes. Through his groundbreaking account, Elsner explores the intricate relationship between Roman and early Christian art, addressing crucial themes such as power, death, society, acculturation, and religion. By examining questions of reception, viewing practices, and the culture of spectacle alongside traditional art-historical themes of imperial patronage and stylistic evolution, Elsner offers a fresh and thought-provoking interpretation of this rich cultural crucible, where many fundamental developments of later European art took root. This second edition of the book includes an expanded discussion of the Eurasian context of Roman art, an updated bibliography, and stunning new full-color illustrations, enhancing the reader's understanding and appreciation of this pivotal period in history.

\n Weight: 628g\n
Dimension: 182 x 238 x 17 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780198768630\n
Edition number: 2 Revised edition\n