Sculptural Landscape in Ostia: Houses and Fountains. A Contribution to the Analysis and Interpretation of Sculpture in Ostia antica

In recent decades, international research on ancient sculpture in the Roman Empire has increasingly focused on contextual studies, dealing with a comprehensive presentation of the sculptural material of an ancient site or city, or with sculptural finds from specific buildings, villas or residential houses. The project deals with the sculptural decoration of several representative villas and public fountains in Ostia antica.

The project study will contribute to the reconstruction of a sculpture landscape in Ostia Antica, which remains a desideratum and will open up new and diverse insights into the significance, message and expressiveness of sculptures in the context of urban development, with regard to urban societies and the importance of sculpture in the imperial period and late antiquity.

From a methodological perspective, approximately 19 residential buildings and ten public fountains are included in the study, based on the documented sculpture finds in the archives at Ostia. The project covers approximately 68 sculptures. The aim is to research iconography, models, comparisons, copies, production and exhibition, aspects of reworking and reuse, art markets, sculptural heritage, storage sites, lime kilns, sculpture relocations, representation, contexts of presentation in the house, self-presentation of the house owner, also within the urban structure and society. Furthermore, intensive studies will be undertaken in the archives of Ostia and on the sculptures in the Museum at Ostia antica. Evidence of the redesign of urban spaces (especially public fountains) and the effects on sculpture decoration with regard to reuse will be taken into account. In addition, a reconstruction of the production processes, the acquisition of sculptures and the contexts of their installation is planned.