(soft piano music)
(soft piano music)

- [Voiceover] On the side of Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice
- [Voiceover] On the side of Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice

is a sculptural group,
is a sculptural group,

actually two pieces of stone put togther
actually two pieces of stone put togther

that show the four tetrarchs.
that show the four tetrarchs.

- [Voiceover] And they really are embedded in the corner
- [Voiceover] And they really are embedded in the corner

of the church, they obviously don't belong.
of the church, they obviously don't belong.

- [Voiceover] for one thing, the color is different.
- [Voiceover] for one thing, the color is different.

- [Voiceover] That's true, and there is a sense in which
- [Voiceover] That's true, and there is a sense in which

there are a lot of things here on the side of the basilica
there are a lot of things here on the side of the basilica

that seem to have been just added.
that seem to have been just added.

- [Voiceover] That's absolutely right,
- [Voiceover] That's absolutely right,

we see all kinds of fabulously colored marbles
we see all kinds of fabulously colored marbles

as well as columns, which we know were spoils
as well as columns, which we know were spoils

from the Fourth Crusade when the Venetians
from the Fourth Crusade when the Venetians

who had tried to get to the holy land,
who had tried to get to the holy land,

didn't make it and instead sacked other Christians
didn't make it and instead sacked other Christians

in Constantinople.
in Constantinople.

- [Voiceover] So they brought back enormous spoils
- [Voiceover] So they brought back enormous spoils

and The Tetrarchs likely came in that group.
and The Tetrarchs likely came in that group.

- [Voiceover] But what's important to remember
- [Voiceover] But what's important to remember

is that The Tetrarchs are not byzantine
is that The Tetrarchs are not byzantine

The Tetrarchs are not even Christian.
The Tetrarchs are not even Christian.

This is sculpture from the last phase
This is sculpture from the last phase

of polytheistic Roman culture.
of polytheistic Roman culture.

- [Voiceover] In the third century the Roman Empire
- [Voiceover] In the third century the Roman Empire

suffered tremendous civil wars.
suffered tremendous civil wars.

At the end of that century, the Emperor Diocletian
At the end of that century, the Emperor Diocletian

decided that the empire might be more stable
decided that the empire might be more stable

if he divided power.
if he divided power.

- [Voiceover] And so what he did,
- [Voiceover] And so what he did,

is he set up a structure called The Tetrarchy,
is he set up a structure called The Tetrarchy,

which means four and refers to four rulers.
which means four and refers to four rulers.

There were two augusti, that is two senior emporors
There were two augusti, that is two senior emporors

and then there were two caesars, two junior emperors.
and then there were two caesars, two junior emperors.

- [Voiceover] Our historians think that the four figures
- [Voiceover] Our historians think that the four figures

that we see here represent the four emperors and co-emperors
that we see here represent the four emperors and co-emperors

Diocletian, Maximianus, Galerius and Constantius.
Diocletian, Maximianus, Galerius and Constantius.

Now it's really impossible to tell who's who,
Now it's really impossible to tell who's who,

and I think it's important to put this in the context
and I think it's important to put this in the context

of the history of portraits of emperors.
of the history of portraits of emperors.

There are portraits of emperors
There are portraits of emperors

going back to the first emperor Augustus.
going back to the first emperor Augustus.

- [Voiceover] And they had been very individualized
- [Voiceover] And they had been very individualized

these were real portraits, yes they might be idealized,
these were real portraits, yes they might be idealized,

but there was always enough specificity so that
but there was always enough specificity so that

you could recognize, in fact, their very purpose
you could recognize, in fact, their very purpose

was so that the likeness of the emperor
was so that the likeness of the emperor

could be distributed throughout the empire.
could be distributed throughout the empire.

- [Voiceover] And we see during this period of the tetrarchy
- [Voiceover] And we see during this period of the tetrarchy

that is completely gone.
that is completely gone.

- [Voiceover] It's all gone.
- [Voiceover] It's all gone.

- [Voiceover] First of all the figures stand
- [Voiceover] First of all the figures stand

in very similar positions,
in very similar positions,

their bodies are the same sizes, aside from the fact that
their bodies are the same sizes, aside from the fact that

in each pair one is bearded and one isn't,
in each pair one is bearded and one isn't,

their faces look exactly the same and are very abstracted.
their faces look exactly the same and are very abstracted.

- [Voiceover] The costume is identical as well.
- [Voiceover] The costume is identical as well.

I want to go back to that idea of the beards
I want to go back to that idea of the beards

for just a moment.
for just a moment.

Scholars have hypothesized that it's the augusti
Scholars have hypothesized that it's the augusti

who were bearded, these are the elders,
who were bearded, these are the elders,

whereas the clean shaven figures are the caesars.
whereas the clean shaven figures are the caesars.

- [Voiceover] Look at their faces,
- [Voiceover] Look at their faces,

their eyes have been reduced to lozenge shapes.
their eyes have been reduced to lozenge shapes.

I use the word abstract where facial features
I use the word abstract where facial features

have none of the subtlety of the way that our faces
have none of the subtlety of the way that our faces

really look in the world.
really look in the world.

- [Voiceover] And it's not just the faces,
- [Voiceover] And it's not just the faces,

it's the structure of the body.
it's the structure of the body.

Where is the contrapposto?
Where is the contrapposto?

Where is the understanding of the musculature
Where is the understanding of the musculature

of the bone structure?
of the bone structure?

This is the art that has inherited the legacy
This is the art that has inherited the legacy

of ancient Greece and Rome
of ancient Greece and Rome

and yet there is clearly this rejection
and yet there is clearly this rejection

of all of the naturalism that had come before.
of all of the naturalism that had come before.

Now part of this may have to do with the fact
Now part of this may have to do with the fact

that this is carved in porpyhry.
that this is carved in porpyhry.

This is a purple porpyhry
This is a purple porpyhry

and it's a stone that was reserved for the emperor,
and it's a stone that was reserved for the emperor,

it was a very rare stone, it was imported from Egypt.
it was a very rare stone, it was imported from Egypt.

It's quite hard and so unlike marble,
It's quite hard and so unlike marble,

this would have been much more difficult to get
this would have been much more difficult to get

the kind of fine features that we associate
the kind of fine features that we associate

with much classical sculpture.
with much classical sculpture.

Nevertheless, there is finely carved porphyry,
Nevertheless, there is finely carved porphyry,

and so this was a decision.
and so this was a decision.

- [Voiceover] And the figures, although lacking
- [Voiceover] And the figures, although lacking

the naturalism of the tradition of ancient Greece and Rome
the naturalism of the tradition of ancient Greece and Rome

express valor, a sense of working together, of harmony,
express valor, a sense of working together, of harmony,

they grasp each other, their faces are turned
they grasp each other, their faces are turned

toward each other, their bodies are turned toward
toward each other, their bodies are turned toward

each other, they express a solidity that I imagine
each other, they express a solidity that I imagine

was somewhat reassuring in the face
was somewhat reassuring in the face

of all the turmoil of the third century.
of all the turmoil of the third century.

- [Voiceover] I think that's exactly right.
- [Voiceover] I think that's exactly right.

I mean they are rendered as military figures
I mean they are rendered as military figures

and there is a real sense of solidarity.
and there is a real sense of solidarity.

- [Voiceover] Look at how they grasp their swords.
- [Voiceover] Look at how they grasp their swords.

- [Voiceover] And those are great swords.
- [Voiceover] And those are great swords.

They seem to have eagle hilts if you look closely.
They seem to have eagle hilts if you look closely.

But look at the way that the drapery is rendered
But look at the way that the drapery is rendered

for instance in the forearms.
for instance in the forearms.

And this so makes the point if you look at the drapery
And this so makes the point if you look at the drapery

of a classical figure.
of a classical figure.

If you look at the drapery on east pediment of the Parthenon
If you look at the drapery on east pediment of the Parthenon

for example, they have this wonderful billowing
for example, they have this wonderful billowing

flowing drapery that reveals the structure of the
flowing drapery that reveals the structure of the

body below it.
body below it.

Here, instead, you have a series of simply cut linear forms.
Here, instead, you have a series of simply cut linear forms.

These are just lines
These are just lines

that are decoratively added to the surface
that are decoratively added to the surface

but in no way reveal the structure of the body below.
but in no way reveal the structure of the body below.

- [Voiceover] Their proportions are also not natural.
- [Voiceover] Their proportions are also not natural.

Their heads are too big for their bodies,
Their heads are too big for their bodies,

their shoulders are narrow.
their shoulders are narrow.

We are at the edge of the end of The Roman Empire
We are at the edge of the end of The Roman Empire

and the beginning of the Christian period.
and the beginning of the Christian period.

The next emperor who becomes himself a tetrarch,
The next emperor who becomes himself a tetrarch,

is Constantine, although he defeats his co-emperor
is Constantine, although he defeats his co-emperor

and establishes himself as the sole emperor once again
and establishes himself as the sole emperor once again

of Rome, then he decriminalizes Christianity,
of Rome, then he decriminalizes Christianity,

so Christianity becomes very soon
so Christianity becomes very soon

the official religion of the Roman Empire.
the official religion of the Roman Empire.

- [Voiceover] What's so interesting is that so much
- [Voiceover] What's so interesting is that so much

early Christian art and certainly early medieval art
early Christian art and certainly early medieval art

will abstract the human figure.
will abstract the human figure.

And we understand that in relationship to the new religion
And we understand that in relationship to the new religion

to trying to not celebrate our earthly experience
to trying to not celebrate our earthly experience

but to look towards the heavenly.
but to look towards the heavenly.

The problem when we look at something like this,
The problem when we look at something like this,

is that we're seeing a similar kind of abstraction of the
is that we're seeing a similar kind of abstraction of the

human body without that kind of religious overly.
human body without that kind of religious overly.

And so we try to understand why there is this rejection
And so we try to understand why there is this rejection

of the earlier classicism without the religious aspect
of the earlier classicism without the religious aspect

at least at the highest levels of society.
at least at the highest levels of society.

And we are left to wonder.
And we are left to wonder.

(soft piano music)
(soft piano music)