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Comforting Symbolism in Case Romane del Celio |
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by sariah / 10.24.2005 |
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| Monumental Architecture vs. the Everyday |
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Assignment |
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The differently aged layers of Case Romane del Celio contain three major types of symbolic interior decorations. Each of these three types serves to comfort the house's inhabitants. First, depictions of pagan gods and later Christian religious figures appear widely throughout the house. Especially memorable are the half-lamb, half-fish creatures. Hanging through a hoop, their blue undulating tails propel their movements across the walls. It is easy to imagine how these shapes came to life in the dark, windowless rooms lit by yellow spheres of torchlight, and how they may have been used to teach or entertain small children. Too, perhaps adults glanced upwards to say a short prayer or contemplate on the afterlife while passing through the rooms. In later times, Christian frescos most likely served similar purposes. In any case, all of the depictions of religious figures are meticulously detailed and colored, yet not overpowering. In contrast to the many public temples and churches that use monumental size and ornate decoration to awe and intimidate the viewer, these religious depictions encourage intimacy and familiarity. One is invited to participate in the energetic pagan murals and portraits of Christ as a consequence of their warm color schemes and accessible scales.
The second type of symbolic decoration enforces a connection between a structure’s inhabitants and their natural world. In older sections, leaves and flowers accent murals. One area, in particular, has walls displaying the four seasons in each corner of the room; branches of foliage change in tandem according to the seasons depicted by the facial expressions of deities. Another example is the blue and white mosaic tile used to accent the flooring during Christian era renovations. From what remains, the sheen, color and placement pattern of the tile resembles the glitter of water. In both instances, the interior decoration serves to symbolically incorporate nature. Unlike most current housing, where our eyes are guided to the surrounding environment by windows that serve as focal points against the white walls, the Case Romane del Celio’s windowless design must have made it especially important to connect to the surroundings outside, through symbolic imagery resembling the natural elements.
Although many aspects of nature are depicted in slight ways in monumental Roman spaces, such as the leaf elements of Corinthian columns and palm trees in early Christian churches, there is not the same continuous reference throughout the structure. If natural designs are present on monumental architecture, it is usually used as an accent on top of a portico or above an apse. Considering the size of public spaces, a more practical solution to the need for interaction with nature was fulfilled by creating entrances that lead to nature itself. The open portico of the Temple of Portunus provided unobstructed views of the Tiber and the oculus of the Pantheon still provides a connection to the sky.
The third type of symbolic interior decoration in Case Romane del Celio demonstrates comfort through an emphasis on personal wealth and the reassurance to its residents of their own good fortune. In one of the Case Romane del Celio’s rooms, the walls possess a faux marble finish. In rooms that were decorated later, patterned wall finishes are interspersed between the depictions of Christ. Both stylistic finishes may have served to comfort the owners by reminding them of their personal monetary success and ability to provide for their families. This modest showing was in contrast to the blatantly glaring declarations of wealth displayed by Roman monumental architecture. For instance, in many of Rome’s churches, the grandiose gold-leaf designs seemed fashioned primarily to serve as reminders to all who entered of the dominant power and wealth of the Church.
Thus, although both monumental and Case Romane del Celio’s architecture share symbolic elements of religious figures, connection to nature and accessibility of wealth, there is a distinction in the symbolism’s portrayal. While monumental sites may focus on the grandiose scale, everyday Roman housing seems aimed at using symbolism as a method to comfort the inhabitants.
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