The Language of Images in Roman Art

Tonio Hlscher develops a new theoretical concept for understanding the Roman art of images by establishing a connection between artistic forms and content and expressions of ideology--such as the glorification of state and ruler war and triumph. A large role is played here by the reception of earlier images from Greek art. Roman art therefore appears to operate as a semantic system which from an interdisciplinary perspective can be compared with the forms of Roman literature as well as the language of images of other cultures.