Ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan civilizations come to life in this
illustrated selection of 100 highlights from the famous collections of
classical art of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. An introduction by
curator Christine Kondoleon describes the geographic range, stylistic
progression and technical development of art in the classical world, and
a second essay briefly relates tales of conservation and the provenance
of some of the featured objects. In the main body of the book, the
highlighted artworks are grouped into five broad themes: Myth and
Religion, Heroes and Warriors, Love and Loss, Daily Life and Beasts and
Beauties. Celebrated mosaics, statues and vases share the stage with
less familiar jewelry, coins and glassware, with each piece accompanied
by a concise discussion of its artistic creation and cultural context.
Both common themes and distinctions emerge in cross-cultural discussions
of topics such as war and politics, commemoration of the dead, sports
and entertainment and the human form, providing rich insight into the
astonishing civilizations that produced and used these fascinating
objects so many centuries ago.