DOCSLIB.ORG

A Seductive and Troubling Work Author(S): Ricardo J

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Seductive and Troubling Work Author(S): Ricardo J Review: A Seductive and Troubling Work Author(s): Ricardo J. Elia Review by: Ricardo J. Elia Source: Archaeology, Vol. 46, No. 1 (JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993), pp. 64, 66-69 Published by: Archaeological Institute of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41766251 Accessed: 04-08-2016 15:14 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Archaeological Institute of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Archaeology This content downloaded from 69.86.123.23 on Thu, 04 Aug 2016 15:14:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Books A Seductive and Troubling Work Cycladic sculptures. In response, The Cycladic Spirit: Master- looters in the islands, eager to satis- pieces from the Nicholas P. fy the greed of collectors and muse- Goulandris Collection by Colin ums, undertook one of the most sys- Renfrew (with a chapter by Christos tematic episodes of archaeological Doumas ). 208 pages . New York : Harry pillaging ever as thousands of Cy- N. Abrams, in association with the cladic graves were vandalized in the N.E Goulandris Foundation , 1991. search for figurines. Predictably, the lust for Cycladic marbles, coupled During the third millennium b.c., small with a dwindling supply of unplun- communities of Early Bronze Age dered graves, spawned a major in- agriculturalists developed a distinc- dustry in counterfeit sculptures. tive culture in the group of rugged Workshops in places like Paris, Aegean islands known as the Cy- Athens, and Naxos (where sources clades. Like of actual Cy- their contempo- cladic marble raries in main- were at hand) land Greece, profitably flood- Crete, and Ana- ed the market tolia, Cycladic with fakes. This craftsmen fash- frenzy of loot- ioned imple- ing, faking, and ments of ob- unprincipled sidian, copper, purchase . has and bronze and placed approxi- made vessels of mately 1,600 fired clay. But objects identi- these islanders fied as Cycladic also created re- figurines into markable ob- private collec- jects out of local tions and mu- marble: bowls, seums through- out the world. 1 cylindrical con- S tainers, and es- For the vast ma- Demand for Cycladic figurines like this pecially human one in Athens9 National Museum has jority we know figurines. nothing about prompted manufacturing of fakes and In the nine- where they came the looting of sites. teenth century, from, what they when European travelers and anti- mean, and even if they are authentic. quarians first encountered these One of the largest and most strangely shaped Cycladic "idols," prominent private collections of Cy- they regarded them as primitive, cladic material was assembled dur- rude, and even ugly. Their abstract ing the 1960s by Dolly and Nicholas forms and the absence of naturalis- Goulandris and now constitutes the tic features offended the aesthetic Nicholas P. Goulandris Foundation- sensibilities of art historians weaned Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens. on the Classical ideal of Greek All of the objects in the Goulandris sculpture. As recently as 1925, Collection Gus- were purchased either in tave Glotz, in his account of GreeceAegean or on the international art civilization, referred to rare Cycladic market; not a single specimen has figures such as the flautist and an archaeologicalthe provenience. The harpist as "monstrosities." Cycladic Spirit , written by the promi- But fashions in art change, nent and British archaeologist Colin during the 1950s and 1960s theRenfrew, art showcases this collection world acquired an appetite in for a lavishly illustrated publication 64 A RCHAEOLOGY This content downloaded from 69.86.123.23 on Thu, 04 Aug 2016 15:14:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms that will surely be welcomed by art Renfrew next discusses several historians, collectors, and traffickers aspects of Cycladic art, including in antiquities. who made the figures and whether Renfrew has written many impor- individual sculptors can be identi- tant studies on various topics in Eu- fied; to what degree they were* origi- ropean prehistory. He has published nally painted; how the sculptors extensively on Cycladic archaeology seem to have followed certain rules and sculpture, including, in 1969, on proportions in carving the human what has become the standard styl- form; variations in the treatment of istic typology of Cycladic figures. His anatomy; and the monumental fig- association with the Goulandris Col- ures. Renfrew's final essays offer his lection dates back to the 1960s, appreciation of Cycladic sculpture in when, as he tells us, he was given the context of modern aesthetics free access to the "wonderful collec- and artistic taste: here Renfrew is tion" in the Athens apartment of at ease in a wide-ranging discussion Dolly Goulandris. Renfrew's rela- that includes Classical, Byzantine, tionship to this collection was per- and Renaissance art, African tribal sonal and intimate: he recalls figures, and the artistic expressions "creeping out from the adjoining of Picasso, Modigliani, and Brancusi. bedroom" during the night with There a are, however, several pit- flashlight for a private viewing falls of the facing the scholar who chooses collection, which was on display to study in looted artifacts. The basic the drawing room. problem can be briefly summarized. In The Cycladic Spirit, Renfrew Collectors cause looting by creating dons the cap of the art historian a market and demand for antiquities. offers a personal and aesthetic Looting, ap- in turn, causes forgçries, praisal of Cycladic figures. As since the forgeries can only reriiain subtitle of the book indicates, undetected these where there is a sub- are treated not as artifacts, stantialbut as corpus of antiquities with- masterpieces of art. To be sure, out part proper archaeological prove- of the book describes what is known nience. These two problems - loot- about Cycladic society and material ing and forgery - fundamentally culture, a topic that derives from corrupt the integrity of the field of archaeological research, much of it ancient art history. desperate salvage work carried out One might expect that these prob- at newly plundered sites. But The lems would merit the special Cycladic Spirit is essentially Ren- attention of scholars working with col- frew's personal appreciation of Cy- lections. Unfortunately, many art his- cladic sculpture ("there is, after all, torians choose to ignore the no other way," he says). corruptive effects of the illegal art In typically eloquent fashion Ren- market on their study. Their basic as- frew sets the stage by summarizing sumption seems to be that looters are our understanding of Cycladic cul- bad but collectors are good. Scholars ture. He describes the "canonical" who work with looted material regu- form of Cycladic figurine: usually larly a condemn looting, while in the standing nude female, arms folded same breath they laud the enthusi- across the stomach, the depiction asm of the collector who, directly or executed in a simplified, abstract indirectly, financed the looting. manner. Several stylistic varieties or Another assumption made by types of figures are illustrated. More those who study private collections difficult is trying to understand what is that forgeries are only purchased the figures meant in Cycladic soci- by other collectors. Each collector, of ety: Renfrew speculates that course,the is unwilling to believe that he monumental figures represented or she has been duped by a forger, deities, while the smaller ones might and few scholars have the courage to have served as votive offerings suggest in that the collection they are public or private cults. studying contains forgeries. This atti- 66 Archaeology This content downloaded from 69.86.123.23 on Thu, 04 Aug 2016 15:14:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms tude produces an absurd and impos- for keeping many Cycladic objects in both in and outside Greece. Renfrew sible situation, nowhere more keenly Greece and for making them avail- never acknowledges the likelihood illustrated than by Cycladic sculp- able to scholars and the public. "They that the Goulandrises' collecting ac- ture. Everyone admits that forgeries have," he says, "escaped the interna- tually promoted the looting of Cy- are rampant but few have been so tional art market." cladic sites. During the 1960s the identified. One Greek archaeologist To be sure, the foundation has es- couple must have been well-known told me he believed that as much as tablished a museum and has sup- in the islands as major buyers of Cy- 30 to 40 percent of ail known Cycladic ported Cycladic research. But cladic sculptures. Dolly Goulandris figurines are forgeries; the most dis- Renfrew's defense rings hollow: the herself says, in the foreword of the turbing thing about this statement is Goulandrises made their purchases first publication of the collection in not that it cannot be proved, but that from the international art market, 1968, "I found my own fascination it cannot be disproved. The reluctance of scholars to deal with the problems that are inherent in the study of private collections springs from the fact that the rela- tionship of scholar to collector is es- sentially that of client to patron or guest to host. The obligation owed to the collector - for hospitality, access, and sometimes financial support - tends to compromise the researcher's objectivity and corrupt his or her in- tellectual honesty. An added compli- cation is the fact that the scholar's publication of a collection inevitably serves to authenticate the collection and increase its market value.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections October 6, 2013 - March 2, 2014
    Updated Tuesday, December 31, 2013 | 1:38:43 PM Last updated Tuesday, December 31, 2013 Updated Tuesday, December 31, 2013 | 1:38:43 PM National Gallery of Art, Press Office 202.842.6353 fax: 202.789.3044 National Gallery of Art, Press Office 202.842.6353 fax: 202.789.3044 Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections October 6, 2013 - March 2, 2014 To order publicity images: Publicity images are available only for those objects accompanied by a thumbnail image below. Please email [email protected] or fax (202) 789-3044 and designate your desired images, using the “File Name” on this list. Please include your name and contact information, press affiliation, deadline for receiving images, the date of publication, and a brief description of the kind of press coverage planned. Links to download the digital image files will be sent via e-mail. Usage: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of the exhibition at the National Gallery of Art. All published images must be accompanied by the credit line provided and with copyright information, as noted. Important: The images displayed on this page are for reference only and are not to be reproduced in any media. Cat. No. 1A / File Name: 3514-117.jpg Statuette of Europa, 1st or early 2nd century marble height: 34.5 cm (13 9/16 in.) Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth Cat. No. 1B / File Name: 3514-118.jpg Head of Pan, 2nd century (?) marble height: 14.4 cm (5 11/16 in.) Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth Cat.
    [Show full text]
  • Ebook Download Greek Art 1St Edition
    GREEK ART 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Nigel Spivey | 9780714833682 | | | | | Greek Art 1st edition PDF Book No Date pp. Fresco of an ancient Macedonian soldier thorakitai wearing chainmail armor and bearing a thureos shield, 3rd century BC. This work is a splendid survey of all the significant artistic monuments of the Greek world that have come down to us. They sometimes had a second story, but very rarely basements. Inscription to ffep, else clean and bright, inside and out. The Erechtheum , next to the Parthenon, however, is Ionic. Well into the 19th century, the classical tradition derived from Greece dominated the art of the western world. The Moschophoros or calf-bearer, c. Red-figure vases slowly replaced the black-figure style. Some of the best surviving Hellenistic buildings, such as the Library of Celsus , can be seen in Turkey , at cities such as Ephesus and Pergamum. The Distaff Side: Representing…. Chryselephantine Statuary in the Ancient Mediterranean World. The Greeks were quick to challenge Publishers, New York He and other potters around his time began to introduce very stylised silhouette figures of humans and animals, especially horses. Add to Basket Used Hardcover Condition: g to vg. The paint was frequently limited to parts depicting clothing, hair, and so on, with the skin left in the natural color of the stone or bronze, but it could also cover sculptures in their totality; female skin in marble tended to be uncoloured, while male skin might be a light brown. After about BC, figures, such as these, both male and female, wore the so-called archaic smile.
    [Show full text]
  • From Boston to Rome: Reflections on Returning Antiquities David Gill* and Christopher Chippindale**
    International Journal of Cultural Property (2006) 13:311–331. Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2006 International Cultural Property Society DOI: 10.1017/S0940739106060206 From Boston to Rome: Reflections on Returning Antiquities David Gill* and Christopher Chippindale** Abstract: The return of 13 classical antiquities from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) to Italy provides a glimpse into a major museum’s acquisition patterns from 1971 to 1999. Evidence emerging during the trial of Marion True and Robert E. Hecht Jr. in Rome is allowing the Italian authorities to identify antiquities that have been removed from their archaeological contexts by illicit digging. Key dealers and galleries are identified, and with them other objects that have followed the same route. The fabrication of old collections to hide the recent surfacing of antiquities is also explored. In October 2006 the MFA agreed to return to Italy a series of 13 antiquities (Ap- pendix). These included Attic, Apulian, and Lucanian pottery as well as a Roman portrait of Sabina and a Roman relief fragment.1 This return is forming a pattern as other museums in North America are invited to deaccession antiquities that are claimed to have been illegally removed from Italy. The evidence that the pieces were acquired in a less than transparent way is beginning to emerge. For example, a Polaroid photograph of the portrait of Sabina (Appendix no. 1) was seized in the raid on the warehousing facility of Giacomo Medici in the Geneva Freeport.2 Polaroids of two Apulian pots, an amphora (no. 9) and a loutrophoros (no. 11), were also seized.3 As other photographic and documentary evidence emerges dur- ing the ongoing legal case against Marion True and Robert E.
    [Show full text]
  • Vasemania: Neoclassical Form and Ornament
    VOLUME: 4 WINTER, 2004 Vasemania: Neoclassical Form and Ornament: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture Review by Nancy H. Ramage 1) is a copy of a vase that belonged to Ithaca College Hamilton, painted in Wedgwood’s “encaustic” technique that imitated red-figure with red, An unusual and worthwhile exhibit on the orange, and white painted on top of the “black passion for vases in the 18th century has been basalt” body, as he called it. But here, assembled at the Bard Graduate Center in Wedgwood’s artist has taken all the figures New York City. The show, entitled that encircle the entire vessel on the original, Vasemania: Neoclassical Form and and put them on the front of the pot, just as Ornament: Selections from The Metropolitan they appear in a plate in Hamilton’s first vol- Museum of Art, was curated by a group of ume in the publication of his first collection, graduate students, together with Stefanie sold to the British Museum in 1772. On the Walker at Bard and William Rieder at the Met. original Greek pot, the last two figures on the It aims to set out the different kinds of taste — left and right goût grec, goût étrusque, goût empire — that sides were Fig. 1 Wedgwood Hydria, developed over a period of decades across painted on the Etruria Works, Staffordshire, Britain, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. back of the ves- ca. 1780. Black basalt with “encaustic” painting. The at the Bard Graduate Center.
    [Show full text]
  • Leon & Melite's House
    The book Leon and Melite: Daily life in ancient Athens is associated with the permanent exhibition Daily life in Antiquity , presented on the 4th floor of the Museum of Cycladic Art. The design of the exhibition and the production of the audiovisual material were carried out by the Spanish company GPD Exposiciones y Museos. The academic documentation and the curating of the exhibition were by the Director of the museum, Professor Nikos Stampolidis, and the museum curator Yorgos Tasoulas to whom we would like to express our warm thanks for his invaluable help and support in the creation of the educational programme. Leon and Melite, brother and sister, grow up in a wealthy Athenian family in the 5th century BC. Young Leon gives us a guided tour of his city. He tells us about his parents’ wedding, as they had described it to him. Then he talks about the daily work of women, tells us about his friends and his sister’s friends and their favourite games, about school, athletics and military training. He describes dinner parties, the symposia , and how men take part in public affairs and, finally, says a few things about burial practices, concentrating on how people honoured their loved ones who had departed this life. The illustrations include reconstruction drawings and objects on display on the 4th floor of the Museum, most of which date from the Classical and Hellenistic periods (5th-1st century BC). Leon & Melite Daily life in ancient Athens Leon & Melite’s house My name is Leon. I was born and brought up in Athens, the most famous city in ancient Greece.
    [Show full text]
  • CYCLADIC ART Athens – Andros
    Your Trusted Experts to Greece 248, Oakland Park Ave. | Columbus, OH 43214 Toll Free: 888.GREECE.8 | Fax +30.210.262.4041 [email protected] www.DestinationGreece.com CYCLADIC ART Athens – Andros - Tinos formation of the modern state of G reece (1830) (9 Days / 8 N ights) dow n to 1922, the year in w hich the Asia Minor disaster took place Day 1: Athens Arrival Day 3: Athens – Acropolis and the Acropolis Upon arrival at Athens International Airport the M useum Destination G reece representative w ill w elcome you Enjoy breakfast and then start on a journey in the and escort you to your hotel ancient past of G reece. W e visit the most important sites of the city and the pinnacle of the ancient Day 2: Athens – Cycladic Art and Benaki M useum s G reek state of Athens, the Acropolis and Parthenon. After breakfast w e start w ith Conclude the day w ith a visit to the unique, w orld- a visit to the Museum of know n, Museum of Acropolis Cycladic Art (MCA). The Museum of Cycladic Art is Day 4: Athens – Island of Andros dedicated to the study and Morning transfer to the port of Rafina to embark the promotion of ancient cultures ferry boat for the 2-hour voyage to the island of of the Aegean and Cyprus, Andros. Arrival w ith special emphasis on in Andros and Cycladic Art of the 3rd transfer to millennium BC. Chora to visit the G oulandri It w as founded in 1986, to Museum of house the collection of Contemporary N icholas and Dolly Art.
    [Show full text]
  • Cycladic Art & Culture
    Hellenic International Studies in the Arts (HISA) Syllabus Course Title: Cycladic Art & Culture Course Code: ARTH 320 / SOCL 320 Credit Hours: 3 Location: Classroom 1, Main building Instructor: Ioanni Georganas and/or Barry Tagrin Telephone: XXXXXXXX Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Office Hour: by appointment Office location: by appointment Syllabus Course Description: This course investigates Greek (mainly Cycladic) art and culture in the form of archeological sites, artistic developments, architecture, mythology, literature, human history, folk traditions, cultural landscapes, and encounters within Greek communities. Course Details: In an attempt to deepen students' understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural history of the Greek world where they are spending the semester, visits are made to important Cycladic island sites and museums, where appropriate. For each excursion, there is a pre-visit preparation by a teacher or contributing guest lecturer in order that participants can receive the maximum benefit from their visit. Primary emphasis is given to myth, archaeology, history, event and classical religious traditions within the context of Greek, Western, and global history rather than art history per se. Temple sites of the gods and goddesses are predominant, but visits include archaeological sites, marble quarries, and museums that showcase ancient sculpture, jewelry, artifacts, as well as later Byzantine and Venetian times. Students who will be augmenting their art and cultural immersion with creative work of their own will have the HISA art studio available for their use, and access to HISA core teaching staff in those areas for small group or one-on-one guidance. Course Objectives: *The course will attempt to deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural history of the Greek world, including its major periods, major forms of Greek art, and Greece’s development and diversification.
    [Show full text]
  • AP Art History Chapter 4 Questions: Aegean Mrs
    AP Art History Chapter 4 Questions: Aegean Mrs. Cook Key Terms: • Linear A/Linear B • labyrinth, citadel, cyclopean masonry, megaron, relieving triangle, post and lintel, corbelled arch, tholos, dome, dromos • true/wet fresco, Kamares Ware, faience, chryselephantine sculpture, relief sculpture, niello, repoussé Ideas/Concepts: 1. What are the basic differences between the cultures of Crete (Minoan) and mainland Greece Mycenaean 2. Compare and contrast Minoan and Mycenaean architecture (i.e. Palace of Knossos and the Citadel of Mycenaea.) 3. Why did the Mycenaean culture appropriate Minoan artifacts/images? 4. What is the role of women in religion/as goddess in Minoan culture? 5. How is abstraction/stylization used in Cycladic art and Karmares pottery? 6. What accounts for the difference in appearance (and content) of Minoan art (esp. frescos) in contrast to other ancient cultures (esp. the Egyptians)? Exercises for Study: 1. Enter the approximate dates for these periods: Early Cycladic: Minoan art: Mycenaean art: 2. Summarize the significant historical events and artistic developments of the prehistoric Aegean. 3. Compare and contrast the following pairs of artworks, using the points of comparison as a guide. A. Lion Gate, Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1300‐1250 BCE (Fig. 4‐19); Harvesters Vase, from Hagia Triada (Crete), Greece, ca. 1500‐1450 BCE (Fig. 4‐14); o Periods o Medium, materials & techniques o Subjects o Stylistic features & composition o Function B. Figurine of a woman, from Syros (Cyclades), Greece, ca. 2600‐2300 BCE (Fig. 4‐2); Female head, from Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1300‐1250 BCE o Periods o Medium, materials & techniques o Scale o Subjects o Stylistic features & composition o Probable function C.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Cycladic Sculpture: an Introduction: Revised Edition
    Early Cycladic Sculpture Early Cycladic Sculpture An Introduction Revised Edition Pat Getz-Preziosi The J. Paul Getty Museum Malibu, California © 1994 The J. Paul Getty Museum Cover: Early Spedos variety style 17985 Pacific Coast Highway harp player. Malibu, The J. Paul Malibu, California 90265-5799 Getty Museum 85.AA.103. See also plate ivb, figures 24, 25, 79. At the J. Paul Getty Museum: Christopher Hudson, Publisher Frontispiece: Female folded-arm Mark Greenberg, Managing Editor figure. Late Spedos/Dokathismata variety. A somewhat atypical work of the Schuster Master. EC II. Library of Congress Combining elegantly controlled Cataloging-in-Publication Data curving elements with a sharp angularity and tautness of line, the Getz-Preziosi, Pat. concept is one of boldness tem­ Early Cycladic sculpture : an introduction / pered by delicacy and precision. Pat Getz-Preziosi.—Rev. ed. Malibu, The J. Paul Getty Museum Includes bibliographical references. 90.AA.114. Pres. L. 40.6 cm. ISBN 0-89236-220-0 I. Sculpture, Cycladic. I. J. P. Getty Museum. II. Title. NB130.C78G4 1994 730 '.0939 '15-dc20 94-16753 CIP Contents vii Foreword x Preface xi Preface to First Edition 1 Introduction 6 Color Plates 17 The Stone Vases 18 The Figurative Sculpture 51 The Formulaic Tradition 59 The Individual Sculptor 64 The Karlsruhe/Woodner Master 66 The Goulandris Master 71 The Ashmolean Master 78 The Distribution of the Figures 79 Beyond the Cyclades 83 Major Collections of Early Cycladic Sculpture 84 Selected Bibliography 86 Photo Credits This page intentionally left blank Foreword The remarkable stone sculptures pro­ Richmond, Virginia, Fort Worth, duced in the Cyclades during the third Texas, and San Francisco, in 1987- millennium B.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancient Greek Art Teacher Resource
    Image Essay #2 Beak-Spouted Jug ca. 1425 B.C. Mycenaean Glazed ceramic Height: 10 1/4” WAM Accession Number: 48.2098 LOOKING AT THE OBJECT WITH STUDENTS This terracotta clay jug with a long beak-like spout is decorated in light-colored glaze with a series of nautilus- inspired shell patterns. The abstract design on the belly of the jug alludes to a sea creature’s tentacles spreading across the vase emphasizing the shape and volume of the vessel. A wavy leaf design on the vase’s shoulder fur- ther accentuates the marine-motif, with the curves of the leaves referring to the waves of the sea. Around the han- dle and spout are contour lines rendered in brown glaze. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Long before Classical Greece flourished in the 5th century B.C., two major civilizations dominated the Aegean in the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C.: the Minoans on Crete and the Mycenaeans on the Greek mainland. The prosper- ous Minoans, named after the legendary King Minos, ruled over the sea and built rich palaces on Crete. Their art is characterized by lively scenes depicting fanciful plants and (sea) animals. By the middle of the 2nd millennium B.C., Mycenaean culture started to dominate the Aegean. It is known for its mighty citadels at Mycenae and else- where, its impressive stone tombs, and its extensive trading throughout the Mediterranean world. Beak-spouted jugs were popular in both the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures. They held wine or water, and were often placed in tombs as gifts to the deceased.
    [Show full text]
  • Step 1, Form A
    San Bernardino Valley College Curriculum Approved: May 6, 2002 Last Updated: April 2002 I. CATALOG DESCRIPTION: A. Department Information Division: Humanities and Social Science Department: Art Course ID: ART 100 Course Title: Art History: The Stone Age to the Middle Ages Units: 3 Lecture: 3 Hours Prerequisite: None B. Catalog and Schedule Description: A survey of western art from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages including the art of Egypt, Greece, and the Aegean; and Etruscan, Roman, early-Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, early- Medieval, Romanesque and Gothic art. II. NUMBER OF TIMES COURSE MAY BE TAKEN FOR CREDIT: One III. EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to: A. Identify major works of art and architecture from Ancient times to the Middle Ages. B. Compare and contrast the styles and themes portrayed in a variety of works of art and architecture. C. Evaluate and critique works of art based on historical context, subject matter, theme, form, composition, material, technique, line, color, space, mass, volume, perspective, proportion, and scale. D. Recognize patterns and themes presented in the history of art and architecture. E. Analyze images of art and architecture from a historical as well as aesthetic perspective. IV. CONTENT: A. Africa, Europe, and the Near East in the Stone Age 1. What is art? 2. Paleolithic Art 3. Neolithic Art B. Art of the Ancient Near East 1. Sumerian Art 2. Akkadian, Neo-Sumerian, Babylonian, and Hittite Art 3. Elamite and Assyrian Art 4. Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid Persian Art 5. Near Eastern Art after Alexander C.
    [Show full text]
  • Looting Matters for Classical Antiquities: Contemporary Issues in Archaeological Ethics
    Present Pasts, Vol. 1, 2009, 77-104, doi:10.5334/pp.14 Looting Matters for Classical Antiquities: Contemporary Issues in Archaeological Ethics DAVID W. J. GILL Swansea University Forty years have passed since the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohib- iting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. In spite of this there have been major scandals relating to the acquisition of recently-surfaced antiquities by public museums and private individuals. The Italian government has obtained the return of over 100 antiquities from North American col- lections and these have been displayed in a series of high profile exhibitions. Greece and Egypt have made successful claims on other material. Some dealers appear to be willing to handle material that surfaced along similar routes in spite of this increased awareness of the problem of looting. North American museums have now adjusted their acquisition policies to align them with the 1970 Convention. The first decade of the 21st century has seen a major change in the attitude to recently- surfaced antiquities. The seizure of the photographic archive in premises belonging to Gia- como Medici in the Geneva Freeport has allowed Italy to request the return of well over 100 objects (Watson 1997; Watson and Todeschini 2006; Gill and Chippindale 2007b; Silver 2009). A series of high profile North American museums have been handing over millions of dol- lars’ worth of acquisitions without resorting to the courts (Gill and Chippindale 2006; Gill and Chippindale 2007a; Gill and Chippindale 2008; Gill 2009e). The defence that the objects were purchased ‘legally’ whether in Switzerland, the United Kingdom or North America no longer holds.
    [Show full text]