Greek Sculpture

Ancient Greek sculpture seems to have a timeless quality – provoking reactions that may range from awe to alienation. Yet it was a particular product of its age: and to know how and why it was once created is to embark upon an understanding of its 'Classic' status. In this richly illustrated and carefully written survey, encompassing works from c.700 BC to the end of antiquity, Nigel Spivey expounds not only the social function of Greek sculpture but also its aesthetic and technical achievement. Fresh approaches are reconciled with traditional modes of study as the connoisseurship of this art is sympathetically unravelled, while source material and historical narratives are woven into detailed explanations, putting the art into its proper context. Greek Sculpture is the ideal textbook for students of classics, classical civilisation, art history and archaeology – and an accessible account for all interested readers.

List of illustrations; Preface; 1. Introduction: the study of Greek sculpture; 2. 'The Greek revolution'; 3. Daedalus and the wings of Technê; 4. Anathêmata: gifts for the Gods; 5. Heroes apparent; 6. Temple stories; 7. In search of Pheidias; 8. Revealing Aphrodite; 9. Royal patronage; 10. Portraits and personifications; 11. Graecia Capta; 12. Afterlife.

Nigel Spivey teaches Classical archaeology at the University of Cambridge, where he is also a Fellow of Emmanuel College. He has held scholarships at the British School at Rome and the University of Pisa and has also worked at the Australian National University and the Getty Research Institute. He has written widely about Greek, Etruscan and Roman art and presented several historical television documentaries, including the major BBC/PBS series How Art Made the World (2005).

Ancient Greek sculpture seems to have a timeless quality - provoking reactions that may range from awe to alienation. Yet it was a particular product of its age: and to know how and why it was once created is to embark upon an understanding of its 'Classic' status. In this richly-illustrated and carefully-written survey, encompassing works from c. 700 BC to the end of antiquity, Nigel Spivey expounds not only the social function of Greek sculpture but also its aesthetic and technical achievement. Fresh approaches are reconciled with traditional modes of study as the connoisseurship of this art is sympathetically unravelled, while source material and historical narratives are woven into detailed explanations, putting the art into its proper context. Greek Sculpture is the ideal textbook for students of classics, classical civilization, art history and archaeology - and an accessible account for all interested readers.