Roman art: a guide through the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection

Abstract

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, and thus provides new insights for a contemporary understanding of ancient Roman art.

Contents

Roman copies and adaptations of Greek sculpture / Seán Hemingway -- The decoration of house and villa / Paul Zanker -- Luxury art / Christopher S. Lightfoot -- Shrines of the lares and offerings to other divinities / Paul Zanker -- Roman Egyptomania / Christopher S. Lightfoot -- Tombs and funerary monuments / Paul Zanker -- Imperial and private portraits / Paul Zanker -- Gladiatorial games, sports, and the military / Paul Zanker -- Architectural elements / Paul Zanker -- A selection of Roman works and their modern histories / Joan R. Mertens.