Series:

Metropolitan Museum of Art

2 total works

Cover of Ancient Art From Cyprus
A Metropolitan Museum of Art Publication The most important collection of Cypriot antiquities outside Cyprus is the Cesnola Collection at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, assembled by Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the first director of the museum. Cesnola was a Civil War veteran who went to Cyprus in 1866 and, in excavations there, sought to rival the finds of Heinrich Schliemann at Troy. Now, on the occasion of the redesign of the Metropolitan's Cypriot galleries, comes this gorgeously illustrated catalogue of some 500 objects, ranging from glass, stone sculpture, and terra-cotta figurines to lamps, pottery, and jewelry. The Cesnola Collection includes works that are among the finest examples of Cypriot art from the prehistoric, Archaic, Classical/Hellenistic, and Roman periods. The first scholarly catalogue since 1914 of a large selection from the Cesnola Collection, this volume will be an invaluable reference.

Cover of How to Read Greek Vases

How to Read Greek Vases

by Joan R. Mertens

Published 18 January 2011

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