Category Archives: Uncategorized
Purse Cover
This piece was found in a treasure-laden ship from a burial mound at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. It is made up of gold, glass, and enamel cloisonne with garnets and emeralds. The right and left sides of the cover … Continue reading
Norwegian Wood Carving
This carving is a decoration of the portal of at the stave church located at Urnes in Norway. Staves are wedge-shaped timbers that are placed vertically. This portal is almost the only thing that has been preserved from the entire … Continue reading
Still Life With Peaches
Unlike previous artistic styles, the ancient Romans were concerned with depictions of inanimate objects as well as depictions of the living. The painting above is an example of the beautiful still life pieces that began appearing in Italy in the … Continue reading
Octavius was less than nineteen years old when he inherited Caesar’s fortune, and less than thirty two when he defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium. When he became master of the Mediterranean world, the rule of the elders that was … Continue reading
Head of a Roman Patrician
During the Roman Republic, patricians were proud of their lineage and keep imagines of their ancestors in their homes. Imagines are likenesses, but often in the medium of a bust rather than a portrait. These likenesses are usually very literal. They were one of … Continue reading
Dying Warrior
(fig. 1) (fig. 2) The two statues shown in the above images, are figures that were set in the pediment of the Temple of Aphaia, in Greece. A pediment is the triangular upper part of the front of the … Continue reading
Aegean Funeral Mask
The art pictured above is a funeral mask, crafted during the Prehistoric Aegean age around 1600 to 1500 B.C. This mask, which is made of beaten gold, was found by archeologist Heinrich Schliemann in a Mycenaean Grave Cirlce in Greece. … Continue reading
Temple of Hera I
This Temple for Hera was built around 550 BC. It is located at Paestum, which is south of Naples in Italy. It is generally referred to as Temple of Hera I to distinguish it from another temple that was dedicated … Continue reading
Landscape with Swallows (Spring Fresco)
On the walls of a ruined house on the island of Akrotiri survives a pleasant mural painting. Since 1650 B.C. it has preserved the ancient Cycladic view of nature. Nature is beautiful and vibrant, vast and intriguing. Wind travels through … Continue reading
Marine Style Octopus Jar
This ceramic jar painted with the image of an octopus was created around 1500 BC in Palaikastro, Crete. It is an example of the Marine Style, which was an expression of the Cretan love for nature. Being surrounded by water, … Continue reading
History of Western Art & Music 