Frieze with funerary Erotes, metal-working and artisan Erotes

Roman art

The frieze, created by juxtaposing fragments belonging to different sarcophagi and monuments, shows, from the left, a group of three Erotes, two with cloaks and vying for a torch and a third without a cloak with the torch raised. In the centre of the relief, three Erotes are forging metal around an anvil: one seated on a stool holds an object with his left hand on the anvil and with his right hand raised, perhaps wielding a hammer, the other two are lifting hammers to forge armour. On the right, a group of two servants or artisans are busy moving objects piled up on the left. The composition is closed by a final Eros with a torch, in pendant with the first on the left.

Erotes are a recurring motif in Hellenistic and Roman art; in particular, winged Erotes with torches acquired specific symbolic meanings related to the world of the dead from the Hellenistic age onwards; the metal-working workshop scene, on the other hand, is part of a common repertoire on sarcophagi produced in urban areas, mainly intended for children, and limited to the late Hadrianic- Antonine age. The groups with torch-bearing Erotes can also be ascribed to this period, while the relief with artisans can be ascribed to a later date.

Object details

Commentary

The frieze was created by juxtaposing fragments belonging to different sarcophagi and monuments.

The central portion, in particular, was first placed in the “Prospettiva”, the rear façade of the Villa Pinciana, and was entrusted to Maximilian Laboureur for restoration in 1827. It was probably on this occasion that the various fragments were assembled into a single slab, which was later transferred to the Casino on the occasion of the new layout of the collection commissioned by Camillo Borghese.

Starting from the left, we see a group of three Erotes belonging to the continuous frieze of the same sarcophagus: the first, standing and wearing the chlamys, has his head turned to the left, his torso facing frontally, his left leg forward and clutching a torch with his left limb. In the centre, the body of the second Eros is leaning towards the first, but captured in the frenzied action of taking the torch away from him, which causes the small chlamys to ride up. The scheme of the composition is reminiscent of some groups of Erotes in the act of raising a weapon or vying for it (usually the spear) (see Bonanno Aravantinos 1998, p. 81, type IV). The chubby face of the central Eros is turned towards the third figure, placed in pendant with the body, but without a cloak and with a raised torch.

In the centre of the modern relief is a metal-working scene: a group of three Erotes forge metal around an anvil. One is seated on a stool, holding an object with his left hand on the anvil, possibly a greave. His raised right hand is probably wielding a hammer, which has not been preserved, while the other two, standing three-quarter-length, are wielding hammers that they use to forge the section of armour.

On the right, a group of two servants or artisans, considerably smaller in size than the Erotes, are busy moving objects piled up on the left. The composition is completed by a last Eros with a torch, in pendant with the first one described but without the chlamys: he is standing, his torso facing frontally, his head turned to the right; his left leg is forward, his right slightly open, while he clutches the torch with his right hand.

The Erotes, frequently portrayed as winged children, were a common motif in Hellenistic art and also appear frequently in Roman art in the form of Cupids, particularly on sarcophagi and reliefs, engaged in a series of different activities, in scenes of country life, hunting, games or fights. Moreover, winged Erotes with torches were a widespread iconographic motif in the Roman world: depicted, in particular, on funerary monuments, they took on specific symbolic meanings related to the world of the dead from the Hellenistic age onwards. Specifically, the upturned torch was meant to symbolise the burning flame that accompanied the deceased on the dark journey into the beyond, guaranteeing light and protection against evil spirits. On an eschatological level, it was meant to represent the victory of life over death and therefore to be a guarantee and symbol of immortality. Over time, however, the Eros with the torch became a mere mannerist decorative motif, therefore lacking any allegorical significance (Francisi 2016).

As for the central group, this scene is attested in several parallelepiped sarcophagi produced by urban workshops illustrating the various activities performed by the cupids in the metal workshop, such as melting metal, forging weapons, or transporting them once completed (Bonanno Aravantinos 1998). In the known cases, the scene is generally positioned to the left on the front of the sarcophagus, occupied in the centre by Erotes in flight holding a clipeus. The clipeusmotiv was very successful in Roman workshops between the Antonine age and the 3rd century CE (Rodenwaldt 1943, p. 13; Koch, Sichermann 1982, pp. 238-241; Blanc, Gury 1986, pp. 982-983).

Specifically, our fragment has similarities to the sarcophagus from the Del Nero collection in Florence (Cracow, National Museum, inv. DMNKCz 1955;1991) and Macerata (Palazzo Compagnoni Marefoschi) (Bonanno Aravantinos 1998, pp. 86-88). In the 20 or so known examples of the type, the prevailing - but not exclusive - destination is for burials of children or infants.

Finally, while it is possible to ascribe the groups with Erotes to the late Hadrianic-Antonine period, technical and stylistic considerations, such as the heavy use of the drill, suggest a Severan period for the relief fragment with artisans.

Jessica Clementi