Reply To: Propaganda Art

[Jessi Willeto]

In Roman art, we see Augustus idealized and deified to glorify his reign and existence, such as the Cupid on his side riding a dolphin. The use of propaganda was to “unite’ and inspire Rome and help them believe that the leaders are strong and endorsed by the Gods. This is similar to what we see in Egyptian art and Greek art– leaders equated or blessed by a God to legitimize their reign. Even on the Palette of Narmer we see similarities to Augustus’s chest plate– representation of the lands meant to unite and put it into the viewers mind that it’s good for the society.Often in roman art and architecture, we will have leaders surrounded by different gods or goddesses and some sort of personification of the lands to help push this narrative that they are good and strong rulers. Constantine had a pretty propaganda-ful reign as he brought Christianity to Rome.