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The collection of Roman art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is
one of the finest in the world. It contains more than 5,000
objects, including exquisite cameos, refined silver vessels and
utensils, spectacular Pompeiian frescoes, monumental sculptures in
stone and bronze and elaborate sarcophagi. This handsome guide
features a selection of over 200 of the most important works that
exemplify this rich and diverse collection, each presented in
detail and illustrated with stunning colour photography. Every work
is accompanied by an engaging text written by prominent scholars
that establishes the object's significance in antiquity, providing
new insights for a contemporary understanding of ancient Roman art.
Contents: Acknowledgments; Director's Foreword; Introduction; Roman
Copies and Adaptations of Greek Sculpture; The Decoration of House
and Villa; Luxury Art; Shrines of the Lares and Offerings to Other
Divinities; Roman Egyptomania; Tombs and Funerary Monuments;
Imperial and Private Portraits; Gladatorial Games, Sports, and the
Military; Architectural Elements; A Selection of Roman Works and
their Modern Histories; Bibliography; Index.
This handsomely illustrated volume is the second in a series of
publications aimed at giving a broad audience deeper insight into
the extensive collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The
Museum is famed for its Greek vases. Joan R. Mertens, Curator in
the Department of Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan, has
chosen thirty-five notable examples. They reveal the variety and
vitality of the refined forms and masterfully rendered scenes that
characterize these works. And they demonstrate the interrelation of
function, shape, technique, and subject matter that is key to
understanding the rich language of Greek vases. The introduction
provides valuable background information, and the entries delve
into the features of each vase, incorporating brilliant color
illustrations, including many arresting details. Greek vases served
specific utilitarian functions, and they also afforded outstanding
artists, some of whom signed their work, a medium for depicting
both the details of daily existence and aspects of their gods,
goddesses, and heroes. We see the garments, implements, athletic
competitions, and marriage and funerary rituals of Greeks who lived
from the seventh through the fourth century B.C. We see their
mythological figures and stories, for instance, the goddess Athena
with her helmet, spear, and shield, and the great hero Herakles,
from his first exploit as a baby to his elevation as an immortal at
the end of his earthly life. The exceptional group of works
assembled in this volume conveys the extent to which the culture of
ancient Greece is still apparent today. Urns and jars inspired by
Greek models are a staple in all types of public and private
spaces. The meander patterns, palmettes, and other florals that
adorn ancient vases recur in all kinds of modern objects. And the
concept of the hero, or superman, first formulated and given visual
form in ancient Greece is integral to Western culture. How to Read
Greek Vases is sure to inspire closer scrutiny of these remarkable
works of art, which have survived for over two millennia to offer
viewers an enlightening look into the ancient heritage of the
Western world. Published in association with The Metropolitan
Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum Journal, issued annually by the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, published original research on works in
the Museum's collections and the areas of investigation they
represent. Volume 48 includes essays on the retribution of the
early south Italian "New York Goose Vase," the coat of arms in Fra
Filippo Lippi's Portrait of a Woman and a Man at a Casement,
drawings of the pantheon in the Metropolitan Museum's Goldschmidt
scrapbook, sin and redemption in the Hours of Francois I (1539-40)
by the Master of Francois de Rohan, and Houdon's Bather in a
Drawing by Pierre Antoine Mongin.
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