This new and richly illustrated overview of Greek painting combines a
fresh scholarly approach to visual arts with the most complete survey to
date of the painted monuments of classical antiquity. The Art of
Painting in Ancient Greece covers a wide chronological and geographical
span, from the Bronze Age murals of Knossos, Santorini and Mycenae to
the opulent villas of the Roman Empire, from Anatolia and Egypt in the
East to Campania and Etruria in the West. Surveying the techniques,
materials, and works produced, as well as ancient literary accounts, the
book engages in five main lines of inquiry: Why did the Greeks cover the
walls of their sanctuaries, agoras, palaces, homes, and even their tombs
with painted images? What topics, real or imaginary, did they choose to
depict? How were those images created? What were the techniques employed
and the materials used? Who painted those images? And how does the
spectacular phenomenon of Greek monumental painting compare with other
branches of Greek art, from mosaics and vase painting to sculpture?