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In 1830 a farmer plowing a field near the village of Berthouville in Normandy, France, discovered a trove of ancient Roman silver objects weighing some 55 pounds (25 kilograms). The Berthouville treasure, as the find came to be known, includes two statuettes representing the Gallo-Roman god Mercury and approximately sixty vessels—bowls, cups, pitchers, and plates, many of which bear votive inscriptions—along with dozens of smaller components and fragments. Dedicated to Mercury by various individuals, the treasure, including some of the finest ancient Roman silver to survive, fortunately escaped being melted down. It was acquired by the Cabinet des médailles et antiques of the Bibliothè...
Considerations about size and scale have always played a central role within Greek and Roman visual culture, deeply affecting sculptural production. Both Greeks and Romans, in particular, had a clear notion of “colossality” and were able to fully exploit its implications with sculpture in many different areas of social, cultural and religious life. Instead, despite their ubiquitous presence, an equal and contrary categorization for small size statues does not seem to have existed in Greek and Roman culture, leading one to wonder what were the ancient ways of conceptualizing sculptural representations in a format markedly smaller than “life-size.” Even in the context of modern scholar...
The essential reference for anyone engaged in the material study of cast bronze sculpture. Since the fourth millennium BCE, bronze has been the preferred medium for some of the most prestigious and sacred works of art. But only through interdisciplinary research can the fabrication of these extraordinary objects be properly investigated, interpreted, and documented. This innovative publication bridges the expertise of myriad art-technological specialists to create a new framework for advancing the understanding of bronze sculpture. Essential reading for curators, conservators, scientists, archaeologists, sculptors, metallurgists, founders, dealers, collectors, and anyone interested in the li...
A comprehensive look at ancient sculptures, wall paintings, vases, and more depicting the elderly in Greek and Roman society Some of the most vivid portraits in ancient art depict older members of society. In marble and bronze sculptures, on coins and painted vases, and in wall paintings and mosaics, elderly men and women are shown with the telltale signs of old age: wrinkles, white hair, sagging jowls, and stooped postures. This publication examines more than 300 of these vivid images to reveal perceptions--both positive and negative--about aging and the aged in Greek and Roman society. Seven chapters explore medium and form--including Greek grave reliefs, marble grave monuments in Roman Africa, and Roman sarcophagi--as well as subjects, from priests and priestesses to ancient kings of Athens, old gods, and satyrs. Grounded in the analysis of art, contemporary literature, and the archaeological record, this comprehensive volume is the first in English to explore how old age was presented in art from antiquity. Distributed for the Yale University Art Gallery
The story of the Roman Empire’s enormous wine industry told through the remarkable ceramic storage and shipping containers that made it possible The average resident of ancient Rome drank two-hundred-and-fifty liters of wine a year, almost a bottle a day, and the total annual volume of wine consumed in the imperial capital would have overflowed the Pantheon. But Rome was too densely developed and populated to produce its own food, let alone wine. How were the Romans able to get so much wine? The key was the dolium—the ancient world’s largest type of ceramic wine and food storage and shipping container, some of which could hold as much as two-thousand liters. In Dolia, classicist and ar...
A vast array of papers on Mediterranean archaeology from prehistory to the present from excavation reports and technical studies to broader historical or economic theses. It is hard to pick out any dominant themes from such a wide-ranging collection, but the Istanbul location of the conference ensured that many of the papers focus on Turkish sites.
This book examines how Pompeian peristyle gardens were utilized to represent the socioeconomic status of Roman homeowners, introducing fresh perspectives on how these spaces were designed, used, and perceived. Pompeian Peristyle Gardens provides a novel understanding of how the domus was planned, utilized, and experienced through a critical examination of all Pompeian peristyles – not just by selecting a few well-known examples. This study critiques common scholarly assumptions of ancient domestic space, such as the top-down movement of ideas and the relationship between wealth and socio-political power, though these possibilities are not excluded. In addition, this book provides a welcome contribution to exploring the largely unexamined middle class, an integral part of ancient Roman society. Pompeian Peristyle Gardens is of interest to students and scholars in art history, classics, archaeology, social history, and other related fields. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
This collection of twenty-eight essays by emerging and established scholars presents work that deeply engages with the materiality and history of Greek and Roman artworks, artifacts, and monuments. Dedicated to Prof. John Pollini in honor of his contributions to the study of the ancient Mediterranean world, this volume reflects the broad range of his scholarship, from sculpture (especially portraiture) and its ancient contexts to material studies, iconographic analysis, and the complex ways that religious and political change both shape and are shaped by material culture. The contributions assembled in this volume highlight the diverse ways in which contemporary scholars construct interpretations of visual art based on a deep understanding of the ancient world, precise attention to detail and technique, and rigorous research into the historical contexts of objects, myths, literature, and iconography. Through their interdisciplinary approaches, the contributors offer new insights on artistic production, viewer reception, and social history, with an emphasis on the theme of "transformation" as objects, artworks, and ideas journey through time and from one culture to another.
The papers in this volume derive from the proceedings of the nineteenth International Bronze Congress, held at the Getty Center and Villa in October 2015 in connection with the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World. The study of large-scale ancient bronzes has long focused on aspects of technology and production. Analytical work of materials, processes, and techniques has significantly enriched our understanding of the medium. Most recently, the restoration history of bronzes has established itself as a distinct area of investigation. How does this scholarship bear on the understanding of bronzes within the wider history of ancient art? How do these technical data relate to our ideas of styles and development? How has the material itself affected ancient and modern perceptions of form, value, and status of works of art? www.getty.edu/publications/artistryinbronze