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Design Insights XL
📜 The year was 13 BCE. Lucius Cornelius Balbus, proconsul in Roman Africa, was arriving in quite peculiar fashion to the dedication ceremony for his newly completed theatre in Rome's Campus Martius area. The means of arrival happened to be by boat. Normally, disembarking would occur roughly three-quarters of a kilometer south of the Theatre of Balbus. On that day, however, the Tiber had flooded quite significantly, sending its overflow deep into the former and occasionally recurring floodplain of the Fields of Mars.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity
Design Insights XLIV
The Sæpta Julia (pronunced: Sipe-ta You-lia) covered a vast expanse of the Campus Martius. The open-air space was completely paved in travertine and enclosed within a quadriporticus which once housed exquisite works of Classical art. The Sæpta was originally conceived of as a place for the gathering of eligible voters in the election of magistrates, but was gradually repurposed for the staging of public spectacles as the importance of voting waned during the imperial era.
It is often the case when discussing grand projects of Roman antiquity that the true scale of these undertakings is not readily apparent. Among a body of work such as mine, it has always been necessary to exhibit the SPQR diorama alongside other, more well-known and consistently 1:650-scaled works. Without the visual aid of other brick-built monuments on nearby tables for the timebeing, I'll instead compare the size of this week's DESIGN Insights subject, the Sæpta Julia, to something the brick-building community know well; convention halls.
The Sæpta Julia covered an area of more than 350,000 sq ft. To put that into perspective, the much-loved Brickworld Chicago convention typically boasts a 100,000 sq ft exhibition hall. The Sæpta could have easily accommodated more than three-and-a-half times that! The best spatial comparison I can conceive of would be to stand at the middle of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool looking toward that same monument. Then, imagine gleaming travertine pavement over the surface of the water, from the midpoint of the pool all the way to the steps of the monument. You'd be hard-pressed to find any convention centers with that kind of uninterrupted square footage, let alone any which might rival such a richly decorated and neatly paved outdoor venue.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity
🙌 The Forum of Trajan was, by far and away, the largest and most opulent of the Imperial Fora. Designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, its architecture fused precedent with groundbreaking novelties, including the Basilica Ulpia and Trajan's Column.
In fact, I first stumbled upon the design for Trajan's Column all the way back in 2020, and have finally applied it here. Once again, that which is done well enough, is done quickly enough!
Don't miss these all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase II of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
⏳ If you subscribe by September 1st, you'll qualify for my next exclusive kit, the Chinese Guardian Lion! The Corinthian tier is the MOST COST-EFFECTIVE way of supporting my work and collecting all the exclusive merch!
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/posts/design-insights-87847340?utm_medium...
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Making these ensembles took quite some time, but I like the effect.
I made the kimono and the hair ornaments (tsumami zaiku).
着物セット、髪飾り （つまみ細工簪・銀梅前差が手作りです。一生懸命作りました。♥
Design Insights XLII
📜 "... everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses."
This particularly insightful excerpt of Juvenal's first-century work, Satire X, speaks as much to the modern era as it did to those living in the Roman empire. The concluding phrase "panem et circenses" refers to the artificial appeasement by which the ruling elite ensured the masses would remain pacified. To this point, we've explored many of the "circuses" referred to by this saying in their various forms. Today, for the first time in my ongoing SPQR project, we'll be taking a look at a space dedicated to "panem," specifically the 'grain dole' known as 'cura annonæ'.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity
PORTICVS OCTAVIÆ ️
Design Insights XXXIX
📜 Welcome to the Portico of Octavia! This next slice of Ancient Rome comes in the form of a literal wedge-shaped subsection. Like the Augustan namesake of this monument, these works were overlaid onto the urban fabric of the Eternal City, just as their patrons' versions of history were grafted onto the founding myths of the Roman culture.
No sooner had we discussed an ephemeral form of Augustan propaganda in last week's Design Insights covering the Circus Flaminius, do we now find ourselves confronted with physical architecture attesting to this broader movement toward imperium. It bears repeating just how emblematic the Campus Martius is of this period in Roman history. This legacy is part of what informed my decisions on where to draw suitable boundaries for Phase III.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/posts/porticvs-design-116461195
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity
Lovely burning red leaves with dangling white petals.
I made them using tsumami zaiku techniques, one petal at a time.
Tomu and Dee enjoy each other's company.
Wearing silk handmade kimono, with silk flowers (also handmade ;) ) in their hair.
A closeup at the silk hair ornament I've made.
I made the kimono and the hair ornaments (tsumami zaiku).
着物セット、髪飾り （つまみ細工簪・銀梅前差が手作りです。一生懸命作りました。♥
What could be a more monumental way of commemorating the 2,777th anniversary of the Founding of Rome than by debuting Phase II of my SPQR diorama?
With Phase II now successfully added, the diorama grows to roughly 211,000 individual plastic bricks and represents several thousand hours of research, design and build time executed over two-and-a-half years!
A smile would belie the resolute burden of committing to recreating the entire Eternal City over many years, but I'm grateful to be tempered by a constant knowing that so many are paying close attention to this impossible overview; which 1 million fourth century inhabitants never knew themselves, and one which I can only hope to faithfully represent at this scale and in these media for millions to learn from today.
That which is done well enough, is done quickly enough. Festina lente.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
Photography: @eclarkephoto
Debut: @brickuniverseofficial
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Handmade by me.
Wisteria modeled by my BJD souldollkid , a 47cm BJD. MSD , or 1:4 size doll. I made the hair flower, the kanzashi clip, using tsumami zaiku , which is a Japanese technique ! Doll accessories are challenging and fun.
Hand dyed by me using painterly techniques. ;) Each petal starts out as a square of white silk... it's interesting dying such small petals-- the canvas is much smaller than my fingernails. XD
• Parts: 36,800+ (~1,130 unique)
• 📐 Scale: 1:650
• 📏 Dimensions: 32in x 51in (80cm x 130cm)
• 📚 Research, Design + Build Time: 4 months
• Photography: James Vitullo 📷
• ©️ MMXXIV - Rocco Buttliere, LLC
___________________________________
During a brief stint in Washington D.C. in 2023, I spent the better part of a summer evening exploring the grounds of Capitol Hill. Few landscapes invite as much inquiry along winding paths paired with plenty of moments for quiet introspection on marble benches; all in picturesque view of the Capitol dome. These on-site experiences are exactly the form of anecdotal justification I seek when considering whether to recreate such monumental places in the first place.
In tackling any work of such storied precedence as the US Capitol, I always seek to expand the conversation beyond existing works in the medium of plastic bricks. While the consistent 1:650 scale among my works has always ensured some level of originality, it is no guarantee of further insight that cannot already be gleaned from existing works by other artists. With this in mind, I set out to capture the full 100-acre site currently maintained by The Architect of the Capitol. What's more, the diorama depicts a particular time of year - specifically late March to early April - as illustrated by the iconic presence of hundreds of cherry blossoms rendered in two shades of light pink.
The diorama starts downhill at the trapezoidal Capitol Reflecting Pool, with the Grant Memorial taking pride of place along its eastern edge and the US Botanic Garden across the street to the south. The diorama expands from there, capturing the radiating pathways meandering uphill, as designed by Frederick Law Olmsted within the parcels laid out in the city plan by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The piece culminates with the widely imitated US Capitol Building, perched atop a plinth projecting from the Capitol Visitor Center on the opposite side.
Topping everything off is a custom-made representation of the Statue of Freedom (as designed by Thomas Crawford), steadfastly overlooking the National Mall from atop the dome. The statue was designed in collaboration with BigKidBrix and was sized comparably to the minifigure statuette / trophy element.
The piece was designed over the course of about two months: first in December 2023 through January 2024, paused during the build-out of SPQR - Phase II, then resumed between March and April. The build-out lasted from July through August and was completed by September. The piece will soon be added to my personal gallery of works, now available for touring exhibitions.
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #ChicagoArtist #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #LEGOArtist #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #USCapitol #USCapitolBuilding #CapitolHill #WashingtonDC #ArchitectOfTheCapitol #America #USA #Diorama #AmericanHistory
• Parts: 36,800+ (~1,130 unique)
• 📐 Scale: 1:650
• 📏 Dimensions: 32in x 51in (80cm x 130cm)
• 📚 Research, Design + Build Time: 4 months
• Photography: James Vitullo 📷
• ©️ MMXXIV - Rocco Buttliere, LLC
___________________________________
During a brief stint in Washington D.C. in 2023, I spent the better part of a summer evening exploring the grounds of Capitol Hill. Few landscapes invite as much inquiry along winding paths paired with plenty of moments for quiet introspection on marble benches; all in picturesque view of the Capitol dome. These on-site experiences are exactly the form of anecdotal justification I seek when considering whether to recreate such monumental places in the first place.
In tackling any work of such storied precedence as the US Capitol, I always seek to expand the conversation beyond existing works in the medium of plastic bricks. While the consistent 1:650 scale among my works has always ensured some level of originality, it is no guarantee of further insight that cannot already be gleaned from existing works by other artists. With this in mind, I set out to capture the full 100-acre site currently maintained by The Architect of the Capitol. What's more, the diorama depicts a particular time of year - specifically late March to early April - as illustrated by the iconic presence of hundreds of cherry blossoms rendered in two shades of light pink.
The diorama starts downhill at the trapezoidal Capitol Reflecting Pool, with the Grant Memorial taking pride of place along its eastern edge and the US Botanic Garden across the street to the south. The diorama expands from there, capturing the radiating pathways meandering uphill, as designed by Frederick Law Olmsted within the parcels laid out in the city plan by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The piece culminates with the widely imitated US Capitol Building, perched atop a plinth projecting from the Capitol Visitor Center on the opposite side.
Topping everything off is a custom-made representation of the Statue of Freedom (as designed by Thomas Crawford), steadfastly overlooking the National Mall from atop the dome. The statue was designed in collaboration with BigKidBrix and was sized comparably to the minifigure statuette / trophy element.
The piece was designed over the course of about two months: first in December 2023 through January 2024, paused during the build-out of SPQR - Phase II, then resumed between March and April. The build-out lasted from July through August and was completed by September. The piece will soon be added to my personal gallery of works, now available for touring exhibitions.
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #ChicagoArtist #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #LEGOArtist #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #USCapitol #USCapitolBuilding #CapitolHill #WashingtonDC #ArchitectOfTheCapitol #America #USA #Diorama #AmericanHistory
️ 8K Renderings of Phase II are now LIVE on Patreon! ️
Available to all paid members, see the entirety of Phase II months before the general public!
By subscribing, you'll also be directly supporting my one-man small business and helping to realize this ambitious, years-long undertaking!
Festine lente!
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #SupportOnPatreon #FineArt #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #WorldHistory #AncientHistory #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #FestinaLente #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #LEGOArtist #InstaLEGO #WorldHeritage #Antiquity #ForumRomanum #RomanForum #GrecoRoman #CapitolineHill #PalatineHill #Colosseum #CircusMaximus
This post marks the 50th entry into the Design Insights series on my Patreon! Available to all top-tier, Corinthian patrons, these entries have extensively documented nearly every project I have digitally designed - and later, built - since 2021. I like to think of each post as a chapter in a never-ending story and a glimpse at the nearest I've come to summarizing the thoughts racing through my head as I work through any given project.
The subject of this post, therefore, is reflective of my case-by-case approach to each and every project. Represented here (from right to left) are the plaza of the Pantheon, the Templum Matidiæ and the Templum divi Hadriani. An assortment of rectangular precincts is nothing new here in the Campus Martius region. Rather, it is the order in which each was designed and the meticulous care in material / color curation which define this next and penultimate chapter of Phase III design insights posts.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity #Hadrian
Handmade by me.
Hand dyed by me using painterly techniques. ;) Each petal starts out as a square of white silk.
This photo is showing how close we could match the leaves to the sample green provided by the bride.
Design Insights XLIX
Roman architectural history has always been a two-way street. In one lane, there are the tangible pieces of evidence attesting to provenance, like stamped bricks which firmly date a structure to a specific time period and probable patron. In the opposite lane, the breakneck speed of imperial propaganda might well be the only story that survives to this day, just as, I suspect, the patron(s) of any project would have intended.
I specifically chose the example of opposing lanes of traffic for the Thermæ Alexandrinæ as it perfectly describes the friction of evidence versus narrative therein. On the one hand, the vanishingly few excavations carried out on the site have revealed remnants of an elaborate baths complex with building material firmly dating its construction to the third century reign of Alexander Severus. On the other hand, the complex is still interchangeably referred to as the Baths of Alexander [Severus] and as the Baths of Nero. But Nero's claim to the baths on this site are far less certain and much more circumstantial.
The Baths of Nero were built on or near this site, according to multiple sources. Nero's proclivities toward excess, however, resulted in backlash which saw many of his architectural projects either torn down or used as foundations for later overbuilding. Were the Baths of Alexander built on top of Nero's baths? Were Alexander's baths arranged according to the imperial thermæ standard, or did Nero's baths set that standard 150 years earlier? These are just some of the many questions we shall ask - but inevitably fall short of answering - as we explore the Thermæ Alexandrinæ.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity #Nero #AlexanderSeverus
Handmade by me.
Closeup of the bridal piece.
Hand dyed by me using painterly techniques. ;) Each petal starts out as a square of white silk.
Design Insights XLV
What do you see when you close your eyes and imagine the ancient past? Visions of golden ornamentation and impossibly captured poses rendered in crisp statuary are likely to abound in your mind's eye. But what can you glean of the background; the setting in which all the trappings and fine objects are placed? You might not have a specific landmark in mind, but it's likelier than not that the surrounding architecture assumes a platonic likeness, which can be distilled to those two most primal elements, the circle and the square.
The Pantheon in Rome is one of the most enduringly iconic landmarks of antiquity and is certainly the most well-preserved large building of its time. It has succeeded on several fronts: most obviously in its remarkable durability, but also in its unrivaled structural innovations, and most importantly, I would argue, its transcendent harmonizing of the circle and the square. We find these ideal forms at the very foundation of every found object, every work of art and every architectural plan across every culture in recorded history.
It should come as no surprise then, that the Pantheon is at the very top of my own list of all-time favorite structures ever built! My relatively reticent approach toward superlatives never stood a chance when I walked through the ancient doors of the portico for the first time in 2019. It's the quintessential interlocking of the two most basic elements of design, echoing across time and a lofty interior vault, that does it for me. I can think of no better way to introduce my interpretation of the Pantheon in the latest Design Insights post, available now to all my patrons (not just the usual Corinthians).
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity #Pantheon
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Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels
What is a ‘Paint Party’?
As a child, there were always events held at my school that helped our class expand their skills and let us try something new. It ranged anywhere from athletics, to music, and academics to art. As an adult, it is harder to find some of these events mainly because it is harder to find the free time as an adult, as well as there isn’t always a location to find out any upcoming events in your area.
For those of you who like to try something new, there are events called “Paint Night”, “Paint & Sip”, “Painting with a Twist”, “Paint Parties”, “Wine and Design” and “Painting Under the Stars”. Most feature music, beverages, painting on canvases you can bring home, and a local crowd of other adults looking to change up their usual work schedules. It is an extremely fun experience and if you have had a bad experience at one of them in the past, just try a different one. No event is ever the same and the same can be said about the people that attend. You can always Google search any of the above terms based on your location to see what is offered closest to you. Have fun!
Artist Spotlight:
©CandaceThompson
Her website and artwork focuses on empowerment, mental balance, and awareness through the use of a canvas and paint. She spent 90 days writing a book promoting self-love and impressing oneself and in August, she completed and had it published for release in September. Seeing her grow from late 2018 and throughout 2019 has truly been a blessing. If you ever want to brighten your day, you can stop by one of her pages to see the newest person she has influenced.
CanvasesWithCandace CanvasesWithCandace CanvasesWithC
“I truly respect what Candace has done. Within 2 years, she has made her own business, written a book, expanded her paint activities to include other mindful things like yoga, and hosted events to promote self-awareness. I can’t wait to see the change in the world when she is nationally recognized for what she is doing” ~VixenMink
You can always send me a message if you want to be featured here or if you want to be removed from being featured.
Closing:
Only a few more weeks left to round out 2019, how do you plan on getting the most out of it?
Were you able to see our last cold full moon this morning on 12/12 at 12:12am? These astronomic events happening on special numbers always give me the feels.
#StayCreative
📜 The so-called Trajan's Market was once a sprawling, multi-level complex along the slopes of the Quirinal Hill. Its multitude of shops, offices and administrative buildings made for a bustling and densely packed backdrop to the spacious Imperial Fora below. Whereas the grand forums were built in the most opulent materials available, the structures of Trajan's Market were built of "less noble materials" and are, consequently, almost completely preserved to this day, as it now houses The Museum of the Imperial Forums in Trajan's Market.
Don't miss these all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase II of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/posts/design-insights-90402874?utm_medium...
#Artist #SupportArtists #SupportOnPatreon #FineArt #VisualArt #VisualArtist #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #ArtHistory #WorldHistory #AncientHistory #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #FestinaLente #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #LEGOArtist #InstaLEGO #WorldHeritage #Antiquity #GrecoRoman #TrajansMarket #MarketsOfTrajan
Design Insights XLIV
The Sæpta Julia (pronunced: Sipe-ta You-lia) covered a vast expanse of the Campus Martius. The open-air space was completely paved in travertine and enclosed within a quadriporticus which once housed exquisite works of Classical art. The Sæpta was originally conceived of as a place for the gathering of eligible voters in the election of magistrates, but was gradually repurposed for the staging of public spectacles as the importance of voting waned during the imperial era.
It is often the case when discussing grand projects of Roman antiquity that the true scale of these undertakings is not readily apparent. Among a body of work such as mine, it has always been necessary to exhibit the SPQR diorama alongside other, more well-known and consistently 1:650-scaled works. Without the visual aid of other brick-built monuments on nearby tables for the timebeing, I'll instead compare the size of this week's DESIGN Insights subject, the Sæpta Julia, to something the brick-building community know well; convention halls.
The Sæpta Julia covered an area of more than 350,000 sq ft. To put that into perspective, the much-loved Brickworld Chicago convention typically boasts a 100,000 sq ft exhibition hall. The Sæpta could have easily accommodated more than three-and-a-half times that! The best spatial comparison I can conceive of would be to stand at the middle of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool looking toward that same monument. Then, imagine gleaming travertine pavement over the surface of the water, from the midpoint of the pool all the way to the steps of the monument. You'd be hard-pressed to find any convention centers with that kind of uninterrupted square footage, let alone any which might rival such a richly decorated and neatly paved outdoor venue.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity
Design Insights XLIII
One of the oft-spoken dividing lines when it comes to Roman history is "after the fire." Depending on the locale, the date mentioned immediately after would be different. Tales of the fire of 64 CE infamously - and spuriously - tell of Nero fiddling while he watched the city go up in flames from the safety of his palace window. When it comes to the Campus Martius region and my present Phase III design efforts, however, it is the fire of 80 CE which more clearly marked the turning point. Before the fire of 80 CE, public monuments were few and far between among private villas with sprawling horti: after, the monuments were rebuilt in even greater splendor while much of the private land was repurposed for the construction of publicly accessible temple complexes.
Among the densest areas of redevelopment during the aftermath of the conflagration is the subject of today's DESIGN Insights post. In it, we will discover two large precincts, both built in quick succession and comparable in size to any of the Imperial Fora. One was built to reinforce the legacy of the imperial family, while the other strengthened the image of Rome as the undisputed center of the Mediterranean world.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
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Design Insights XLV
What do you see when you close your eyes and imagine the ancient past? Visions of golden ornamentation and impossibly captured poses rendered in crisp statuary are likely to abound in your mind's eye. But what can you glean of the background; the setting in which all the trappings and fine objects are placed? You might not have a specific landmark in mind, but it's likelier than not that the surrounding architecture assumes a platonic likeness, which can be distilled to those two most primal elements, the circle and the square.
The Pantheon in Rome is one of the most enduringly iconic landmarks of antiquity and is certainly the most well-preserved large building of its time. It has succeeded on several fronts: most obviously in its remarkable durability, but also in its unrivaled structural innovations, and most importantly, I would argue, its transcendent harmonizing of the circle and the square. We find these ideal forms at the very foundation of every found object, every work of art and every architectural plan across every culture in recorded history.
It should come as no surprise then, that the Pantheon is at the very top of my own list of all-time favorite structures ever built! My relatively reticent approach toward superlatives never stood a chance when I walked through the ancient doors of the portico for the first time in 2019. It's the quintessential interlocking of the two most basic elements of design, echoing across time and a lofty interior vault, that does it for me. I can think of no better way to introduce my interpretation of the Pantheon in the latest Design Insights post, available now to all my patrons (not just the usual Corinthians).
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
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Enjoy 15% Off with code BF-MMXXIV-15 ️
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Handmade by me.
These are little flowers I made as a gift for a friend of a friend! The winter chrysanthemum is a delightful little flower-- so poofy and charming.
Design Insights XLI
📜 The very first permanent theatre built in Rome was the Theatre of Pompey, completed in 55 BCE by Pompey Magnus. At the time of its construction, nothing like it had been built in Rome as the wooden impermanence of all previous theatres was in keeping with a Roman law prohibiting any built of stone. Pompey the Great, ever the shrewd statesman, circumvented these regulations by building a temple dedicated to numerous deities in the center of the semicircular seating area. Access to the temple was through the theatre and each level of seating corresponded to another temple floor dedicated to more gods.
The Theatre of Pompey was accompanied by lavish porticoes and gardens stretching all the way to the Largo Argentina area where some of the most sacred temples of the Campus Martius still stand in ruins to this day. Not to be outdone by their precedence, Pompey included a sizable Curia directly adjacent to the row of temples. There, the Senate convened on multiple occasions after a fire had consumed the usual Curia in the Forum. It was in the Curia of Pompey that his friend-turned-enemy Julius Cæsar was assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 BCE.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
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Design Insights XLVIII
Telltale signs of a bygone era are positively replete across the city of Rome; that is, if you know where to look! For many visitors, Piazza Navona is among the first stops of any respectable itinerary. It was there, at Bernini Ristorante, where I had the first meal of my inaugural trip to the Eternal City in 2019. Admittedly, it's a bit of a tourist trap, but one that felt right given its namesake's (Gian Lorenzo Bernini's) influence over the urban design of the modern city.
More than anyone else since the emperors of antiquity, Bernini left his mark on the city with an unassailable volume of architectural, sculptural and urban development projects, including the design of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at the center of Piazza Navona. Much of the canvas on which Bernini and his contemporaries built, however, was put down by the emperors of Rome. One such emperor, Domitian, was himself responsible for the shape of Piazza Navona. Domitian built a Stadium on the site in the late first century CE, alongside countless other projects to restore the grandeur of the Campus Martius in the aftermath of the fire of 80 CE.
To this day, the cobblestone pavement of Piazza Navona echoes the gravel terrain on which athletes competed in quadrennial games, in the Greek tradition. The buildings which encircle the piazza were built atop the cavea of this ancient stadium. These partially excavated foundations are accessible today, and are included in these insights. Let's now explore this ancient landmark hidden - if just below the surface - in plain sight.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
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PORTICVS OCTAVIÆ ️
Design Insights XXXIX
📜 Welcome to the Portico of Octavia! This next slice of Ancient Rome comes in the form of a literal wedge-shaped subsection. Like the Augustan namesake of this monument, these works were overlaid onto the urban fabric of the Eternal City, just as their patrons' versions of history were grafted onto the founding myths of the Roman culture.
No sooner had we discussed an ephemeral form of Augustan propaganda in last week's Design Insights covering the Circus Flaminius, do we now find ourselves confronted with physical architecture attesting to this broader movement toward imperium. It bears repeating just how emblematic the Campus Martius is of this period in Roman history. This legacy is part of what informed my decisions on where to draw suitable boundaries for Phase III.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/posts/porticvs-design-116461195
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Design Insights XLVI
Throughout the process of reconstructing Rome of the fourth century, it has often been the case that after months of research, I find myself left with more questions than answers. Some reconstructions are purely speculative, based on textual descriptions not yet backed up by the archaeological evidence of a physical site. Others, like the Baths of Agrippa, are known to us through both physical remains and written sources, yet remain frustratingly enigmatic from a lack of consensus among these sources. The former, oddly, provide more freedom of design, while reconstructions based on the latter are prickly at best.
The Baths of Agrippa were the very first public thermæ built in Rome. The baths were part of a broad public works site undertaken by Marcus Agrippa during the late first century BCE. Connected to the Pantheon and sited firmly within the Campus Martius, the Thermæ Agrippæ were reconstructed on several occasions, either due to destructions by fire or by gradual deterioration over the centuries. Its novelty as the first public bathing complex is entwined with its elusive building plan, resulting in a number of conflicting reconstructions painting a thorny picture of the overall scheme.
My best attempts at bushwhacking through the many narratives enshrouding the Baths of Agrippa have resulted in the reconstruction I present to you today. With these many qualifiers and disclaimers in mind, we can now proceed to attempt to uncover the Thermæ Agrippæ.
Don't miss this all-new DESIGN Insights post highlighting Phase III of my ongoing efforts to build all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th century CE!
😎 These insights are EXCLUSIVE to Corinthian patrons, and peel back the curtain months before these designs will be shared publicly. The renderings, on the other hand, are shared with patrons of all tiers.
Support this unprecedented project on Patreon!
Link below ➡️🔗⤵️
www.patreon.com/RoccoButtliere
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusinessOwner #History #ChicagoArtist #SPQR #ImperialRome #AncientRome #Rome #Roma #RomanEmpire #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #Antiquity #Agrippa