Art of the Ancient World • AMoA

The art of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome has captivated the world's imagination for centuries. These cultures left behind tantalizing evidence of great and wealthy dynasties that valued beauty and artistic expression. The Greek and Roman traditions, in particular, were at the root of one of the western world's most significant periods - the Renaissance - during which classical ideals were 'reborn' in the arts and humanities.

Recognizing the value of an antiquities collection for any museum that aims to teach about the world's great cultures, Arthur Appleton collected fine Egyptian, Greek and Roman works along with others from neighboring ancient civilizations. Over the years, other significant works from generous donors have been added to the antiquities collection now containing over 900 pieces. Recently, works from the museum's ancient Islamic ceramics collection traveled to the Frick Art &Historical Center in Pittsburgh.

While ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome are united in their influence on later cultures, they were distinctly different societies. Whereas Egyptian art reflects rigid political and religious systems, the art of Greece reflects the search for ideal forms to represent gods and men. Greek art of the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. is ranked among the highest of human artistic achievements. Sculpture was founded on nature but was governed by the pursuit of symmetry, proportion, and balance. Although few pictorial works in wood or textiles have survived, more durable Greek pottery shows the development of painting. Subjects were taken from mythology and daily life: athletes, warriors, banquets, women performing everyday tasks, and animals.
Movement and expression were conveyed in linear style.

Like the Egyptians, the Greeks set high standards of artistic expression and craftsmanship - so much so that the Romans who came after copied many of the great Greek works. In fact, large numbers of Greek sculptural masterpieces are only known to us through Roman copies. When creating original pieces, Roman artists absorbed the lessons in rendering human form from the Greeks and applied it to works reflecting their own society's great advancements, particularly the expansion of their empire. Many of the greatest sculptures of antiquity are testaments to the military might of ancient Rome. Echoes from dynasties and empires long past, the works in this gallery remind us of the lasting legacy of ancient art - one that still influences artists to this day." via @AppletonMuseum