Why is it called De Rerum Natura Sculpture? The name comes from a first-century BC didactic poem by Roman poet Lucretius. The poem is called De rerum natura. That is Latin for On the Nature of Things.
De Rerum Natura Sculpture’s name connects art and philosophy. Lucretius aimed to explain Epicurean philosophy. He wanted to reach a Roman audience. His poem explores atomism. It looks at the mind and soul. It considers the world’s development. Lucretius described a universe guided by chance. He rejected divine intervention.
Lucretius believed fear of the deities caused unhappiness. He used atomism to explain the universe. He said elemental particles mixed. These particles existed from eternity. They followed simple laws. The deities lived in peace. They were indifferent to the world. Humans had nothing to fear from them. Lucretius tried to show nature could be explained. He said it does not need divine beings.
De Rerum Natura Sculpture links to these ideas. Lucretius wrote his poem in six books. The books discuss being and nothingness. They talk about matter and space. Atoms and their movement are explored. The universe is infinite. Reproduction is regular. Mind and spirit are material entities. They end with the body. The last three books explain vision. They cover the senses, sex, and reproduction. They look at natural forces and agriculture. They examine the heavens and disease.
Lucretius opens his poem by addressing Venus. She is the mother of Rome. She is also the mother of nature. He asks her to pacify Mars. He wants to spare Rome from strife. This imitates Homer. It also recalls Ennius and Hesiod. Lucretius’s proem fits epic convention.
The poem then discusses the nature of deities. It argues against superstition. Lucretius says nothing comes from nothing. Nothing reduces to nothing. The universe has infinite atoms. They scatter in a vast void. Atoms combine and form qualities we sense. The first two books explore this.
The third book applies these concepts. It shows the anima and animus are part of us. They have no independent existence. Soul and body perish together. Fear of death is foolish. Death extinguishes all feeling.
De Rerum Natura Sculpture may make you think about these things. The fourth book discusses the senses. It looks at sight, hearing, taste, and smell. Sleep and dreams are examined. It ends with love and sex. The fifth book addresses the origin of the world. It considers heavenly bodies. It explores the seasons, day, and night. It charts the rise of humankind. It looks at society and political institutions. It examines the arts and sciences.
The sixth book explains natural phenomena. Thunder, lightning, hail, rain, and snow are discussed. Earthquakes and volcanoes are explained. It leads to a discourse on diseases. The book closes with the Plague of Athens. This abrupt ending suggests the poem is unfinished.
Lucretius wrote to free Memmius from fear. He wanted to induct him into ataraxia. Ataraxia is a state of tranquility. Lucretius glorifies Epicurus. He sees him as a hero. Some scholars debate the poem’s purpose. Lucretius may have written for a general audience first. He then revised it for Memmius.
There is irony in Lucretius’s poem. Epicurus advised against writing poetry. He thought it complicated simple things. Lucretius defends his use of poetry. He says philosophy is like medicine. Poetry is like honey. It sweetens the bitter medicine. It entices the audience to swallow it.
De Rerum Natura Sculpture invites reflection. The poem’s state suggests it was released unfinished. It concludes abruptly. Passages are redundant. Loose ends exist. Lucretius may have died before finishing it. Think about these ideas as you view the sculpture.