Accumulating and Interacting. Artworks in Ancient Rome’s Public Spaces

This paper intends to challenge the way in which the complex interaction between the Roman people and the artworks displayed in public spaces in Rome—mostly paintings and sculptures—during the late Republic and the Imperial period has been traditionally read through the lens of “public art collections” and “museums.” I analyze some case studies of artworks displayed in ancient Rome’s public spaces through these three issues: visibility, intangibility, and immobility.