The representation of families on sepulchral monuments in the North-West provinces
Henner von Hesberg
(in Italian)
Families represent the smallest social group of a society, insofar as they reflect the state of a society in general, as well as the valid definitions of roles and of classifications. This is the aspect under which the sepulchral monuments of the North West provinces will be analysed.
On the monuments of the 1st century A.D., the family is represented in an imposing way as, for instance, on the monument of Poblicius in Cologne, as well as in many other monuments of the region. The members of the family appeared as individual statues. This holds true in a similar way for the rather plain funerary reliefs. No interaction is shown respectively. Most of the monuments of the 2nd and 3rd centrury, however, show a different aspect of the family, that is, an affectionate togetherness. These images express qualities composed more of moods and emotions, but which are of course transposed into the private ambient. Good examples of this are provided by the monuments from Neumagen.
This
shift raises the question of whether and in which way these images
correspond to reality; that is, whether the structure of the family
had changed over the course of time or whether the images represented
a different aspect of the family. This question is not easily answered,
for the possibilities of a methodically-sure analysis are quite
limited. Furthermore there is only little evidence to be found in
other fields, such as other monument types. Indeed, the state reliefs
in Rome and the representations found in mural painting indicate
that the unity of the family is accentuated immediately from the
beginning through the depiction of emotional moments. Apart from
this, the records provided by inscriptions and literary sources
are of significance.
As a result of this study, it becomes clear that the view of the
family changes according to the respective medium and over the course
of time. Within the period in question, the essential traits of
family structure remain the same; the change lies in a different
construction of the representation of the family to the outside
world.
Archäologishes Institut, Universität zu Köln,
Albertus-Magnus Platz, 50923 Köln.
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