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CHAPTER SIX
ETRUSCAN ART
Key Images
Fibula from Regolini-Galassi Tomb, Cerveteri, p. 166, 6.1
Aerial view of part of Banditaccia Cemetery, p. 167, 6.2
Burial chamber, Tomb of the Reliefs, Cerveteri, p. 168, 6.4
Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, Tarquinia, p. 169, 6.5
Charun and Vanth from the Tomb of the Anina Family, Tarquinia, p. 170, 6.6
Human-headed cinerary urn, p. 171, 6.7
Materials and Techniques: Etruscan Gold-Working, p. 169
By the 8th century BCE, the Etruscans had established colonies in Italy, reaching
the height of their power in the 7th and 6th centuries BCE, and controlling much of the
western Mediterranean with their fleet.
The earliest account of the Etruscans is by Herodotus writing in the 5th century BCE.
Herodotus believed that the Etruscans were Lydians, coming from Asia Minor to Italy
Etruscan tomb paintings often describe scenes of pleasurable daily life, with bright
Cinerary urns, made out of bronze and terra cotta with the lid representing the head of
the deceased, were used to contain the ashes of the deceased. Terra cotta sarcophagi
took on a different form. A terra cotta sarcophagus from Cerveteri dating to the
Archaic period is shaped like a dining couch or marriage bed with a couple reclining
on top. The sculpture has most recently been reconstructed with the couple holding
eggs, symbolizing fertility and eternal life.
As with the Greeks, the Etruscans were also highly skilled at bronze casting. This can
be seen with the She-Wolf dating to ca. 500 BCE, now housed in the Capitoline
Museum in Rome. Although many Etruscan works were destroyed, this work may
have been preserved because it seemingly reflected the founding myth of Rome and
the story of Romulus and Remus.
Key Terms/Places/Names
tumulus (plural: tumuli)
filigree
decumanus
Vulca of Veii
Discussion Questions
1. Describe the typical Etruscan temple. How does it differ from a Greek temple? Are
there any similarities?
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2. The Apollo of Veii and the Greek kouroi are both Archaic, yet they are radically
different from each other. Describe these differences, and then outline what you
believe accounts for these differences in representation.
6. How do Etruscan tomb paintings, such as those found in the Tomb of Hunting and
Fishing (6.5) differ from Egyptian tomb paintings?
7. What do scholars think the figures on the Sarcophagus (6.8) from Cerveteri
originally held in their hands? What was the significance of this object?
Resources
Books
Bonfante, Larissa. Etruscan Life and Afterlife: A Handbook of Etruscan Studies. Detroit:
Wayne State University Press, 1986.
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DVDs
The Etruscans. (2004) Educational Video Network, Inc. 31 min.