THE PANTHEON Rome, Italy, c. 126 CE

1. THE PANTHEONRome, Italy, c. 126 CE Selected Work #4 ART RESOURCE GUIDE

2. Watch these: • Khan Academy's Pantheon (8:31): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaY8zqYfQI0 • Engineering an Empire (9:39) start 2 min. into video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5uecyfK34 • Building the Pantheon (8:41): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=305niNDG8c4&index=5&list=PL_vT94oYGFZTekvqXh0sgVF1mpaVRIr4g

4. THE PANTHEON: 4 Views

5. The development of concrete • CONCRETE: • allowed construction projects to last through time • Used by • Some scholars think it was used by Egyptians • It arose DEFINITIVELY with the Romans • Developed out of NECESSITY • No convenient MARBLE QUARRIES in Rome as in Greece • Local stone • mostly soft volcanic material • Unsuitable for big building! • Ambitious projects required a new, more flexible bldg. material • TRIAL & ERROR led to ideal CONCRETE recipe • THUS…development of concrete • NOT a single great discovery • But more of an EVOLVING process of • Innovation & investgation

6. CONCRETE • Made of a mixture of • Lime mortar • Volcanic sand • Stone • Water • A chemical reaction w/ water • changes the molecular structure, which • Creates heat • Binds them strongly creating “artificial stone” • The resulting material is excellent for construction • Can be molded into any shape • Is FIRE-RESISTANT • Renders ARCHITECTURE a matter of • SPACE rather than MASS • (lg., unobstructed areas can be built in almost any configuration)

7. Distinctive Features of Roman Concrete • In earlier eras, builders had used • Lime mortars • Manifestations of concrete • But what made Roman concrete different was • The particular materials used • The sophistication of their application

8. Roman builders • Began with simple techniques • Such as mortared rubble construction • 2 closely placed brink walls • Filled with rubble • Covered in clay

9. Later methods • Included binding the rubble with poured mortars of various formulas • The most significant advancement = the addition of POZZOLANA to the mortar mixture • Reddish volcanic dust • A.k.a. POZZOLANIC ASH • Bound esp. well with sand & lime to create a strong, waterproof mass as it cured • Also, could be set in DAMP CONDITIONS • Allowing for greater flexibility w/ construction schedule

10. Roman concrete tufa • Used a wide variety of aggregate stone • STONE gives concrete • Strength • mass • The Romans were careful to choose the right aggregate for the right project. They used everything from • SELCE, a very heavy lava stone to • TUFTA and PUMICE – lightweight • They even recycled for use as aggregate: • architectural sculptures • Stone buildings • Experimentation & innovation = typical • PANTHEON: • significant monument and significant example of innovation pumice

11. The Pantheon: Analysis • One of the most unusual/remarkable ancient temples • Built under emperor HADRIAN • Although inscription on front states M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT • Indicating it was • Founded by MARCUS AGRIPPA • And completed during his 3rd round as consul (27 or 25 BCE) • Agrippa’s original burned (80 CE) • 2nd structure built by DOMITIAN was destroyed, too. • So this is actually the 3rd version of a temple at this location

13. The inscription shows respect for • Tradition • The original building • The emperor who first sponsored it • The PANTHEON • Like the 2 previous versions • Was dedicated to all the gods in the Roman pantheon

14. BASIC ARCHITECTURE • Quite simple • Hemispherical dome • Set on cylindrical base • Walls are • Rounded like a drum • Resulting in a perfect sphere in the interior

16. Interior • Amazing scale • Very open • No central supports to break it up • Particularly striking and surprising because entry = traditional Corinthian PORTICO with • COLONNADE • PEDIMENT • PITCHED ROOF LINE BUT…

17. BUT… • Instead of the rectangular space suggested by the temple front • One enters a vast, circular space • For a PANORAMIC VIEW, visit http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/html/ancient_rome_pantheon_

18. INTERIOR • Marvel of an interior is made possible primarily through use of CONCRETE • FLEXIBILITY allowed shaping of perfectly curved lines of • DRUM • DOME • The DOME itself possible only due to newly formulated material (CONCRETE) • 142 feet in diameter • The largest such structure built in Europe before the 20thcentury

19. The Treasury of Atreus • Before the PANTHEON, • the TREASURY OF ATRUS = • Only comparable vaulted space WITHOUT interior supports • But it’s quite small in comparison • only 43 feet high

20. THE DOME • Quite complex in design • Supported at its base by curved walls of temple • Walls are 20 FEET THICK • Dome is 20 FEET THICK as it joins the walls • From there, the dome • rises to the ceiling • Its width gradually decreasing until it’s a mere • 6 FEET THICK at the pinnacle

21. THE DOME • The dome’s concrete mix included • FIVE different aggregates • With denser, heavier materials closer to the drum • Lighter materials used as dome springs upward • COFFERS • Telescoping square forms • Used to remove material and further lighten the load of the dome • OCCULUS • 30-foot wide opening at top of dome • Circular hole = primary source of light for the interior in antiquity

22. DECORATIONS: • Originally richly decorated • Each COFFER adorned with a • GILDED BRONZEROSETTE • Made it look like a starry night • The walls were multicolored -- covered with marble • thin sheets of MARBLE VENEER • MARBLE COLUMNS

23. Niches • The niches in the drum interior were • Filled with sculptures • Dedicated to all the Roman gods • Decorative elements were brought to the temple from throughout the empire • Reminder of wealth • Extent of Roman holdings • Sheathed modest-looking concrete material from which temple was built • Rich marble & bronze used to spectacular effect

24. Loss & Recovery of Concrete • After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the use of concrete was drastically reduced • By 400 CE ROMAN RECIPE was lost • effectively disappeared until the 14th century • 1300s to mid-1600s, concrete used sporadically until • the CANAL DU MIDI • 1670 • southern France • EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE • 1759 • British engineer JOHN SMEATON used concrete • Devon, England

25. MODERNIZATIONS • Development of PORTLAND CEMENT • Most commonly used form today • By JOSEPH ASPDIN • 1824 • Invention of REINFORCED CONCRETE • 1849 • JOSEPH MONIER • used to perfection by the Romans, but has only reemerged relatively recently in history • Is one of the most prevalent building materials in use around the world

26. Review Games & Flashcards • Play JEWELS OF WISDOM: The Pantheon at • http://www.cram.com/flashcards/games/jewel/art-04-the-pantheon-4788385 • Practice at Quizlet: • http://quizlet.com/44372441/art-the-pantheon-pp-63-66-flash-cards/