From the Art History class notes of Dr. Rocco Lieuallen at Oregon State University:
"D. H. Lawrence opened his 1929 essay Etruscan Places with this
typically witty comment: "The Etruscans, as everyone knows, were the
people who occupied the middle of Italy in early Roman days, and whom
the Romans, in their usual neighbourly fashion, wiped out entirely."
The civilizations of Greece and Rome so dominate the scope of ancient
art, that their neighbors the Etruscans usually get short shrift, if
they are considered at all. In fact, Etruscan art was traditionally
derided as a debased form of art that was overly dependent upon the
models of Greece. It was of course deeply influenced, but at times
essentially different from Greek arts. Time however, does not permit
us to examine the culture in the depth which it deserves. Instead, it
is best for us to look at a few major examples, and to bear in mind
that Etruscan art represents a confluence of ideas we have seen.
Etruscan art occupies aesthetically the same place it did
geographically: wedged between the conventions and forms of Greek
production, and serving as a forerunner of styles we understand to be
essentially Roman.
The Etruscans' period of dominance on what is now the Italian
peninsula was from c.700 to c.509 BCE. The Etruscans were relatively
wealthy people, given the rich agricultural lands they held around the
Tiber River, in what is now modern day Tuscany. Noted for their skills
in metalwork, they were also successful sailors and traders, and they
had extensive contact with the Greeks (remembering the many examples
of Greek vessels found at Etruscan sites), the Near East and
Phoenicia. While greatly inspired by the art of other cultures, they
did not slavishly copy, but instead assimilated and refined examples
to fit their own tastes."
To answer your question, the Etruscans didn't use those resources as
extensively as they could have because they assimilated the techniques
of the other surrounding cultures instead of creating their own.
I hope this helps,
Craig |
