Sarcophagus with reclining couple

Sarcophagus with reclining couple, Cerveteri, 520 BCE. Painted terracotta, 3' 9 1/2" x 6' 7" Etruscan
Focus on upper half and emphatic gestures are Etruscan hallmarks.

Laocoon and his sons

Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes, Laocoon and his sons, Rome, early century CE. Marble, 7' 10 1/2" high. Hellenistic

Nike of Samothrace

Nike alighting on a warship, from Samothrace, 190 BCE. Marble, Nike 8' 1" high. Hellenistic.
Wind swept drapery, placement in a fountain of splashing water heightened the dramatic visual effect.

Gallic chieftain killing himself and his wife

Epigonos, Gallic chieftain killing himself and his wife,. Roman copy of a bronze statue from Pergamon. 230-220 BCE. Marble, 6' 11" high. Hellenistic

Altar of Zeus

Altar of Zeus, Pergamon, Turkey, 175 BCE. Hellenistic.
Frieze of battle of gods and giants alludes to the victory of King Attlos over the Gauls of Asia Minor.

Athena battling Alkyoneos, detail of gigantomachy frieze, Altar of Zeus, Pergamon. 175 BCE, Marble, 7' 6" high.
Emotional power unparalleled in earlier Greek art. Violent movement, swirling draperie, and vivid depictions of suffering.

Battle of Issus

Philoxenos of Eretria, Battle of Issus, 310 BCE. Roman copy, late second or early first century BCE. Tessera mosaic, 8' 10"x16' 9", Court of Alexander the Great
Foreshortening, modeling of color, reflections, shadows, psychological intensity of warfare.

Weary Herakles

Lysippos, Weary Herakles. Roman statue from baths of Caracalla, Rome, based on bronze 320 BCE. Marble, 10' 5" high. Late Classical.

Aphrodite of Knidos

Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Knidos. Roman copy of a marble statue, 350-340 BCE. Marble, 6' 8" high. Late Classical.
First Greek nude of goddess.

Grave Stele of Hegeso

Grave Stele of Hegeso, Athens. 400 BCE. Marble, 5' 2" high.
Serene moment of daily life.

Erechtheion

Erechtheion, Acropolic, Athens, 421- 405 BCE. High Classical
Ionic, decorative.


Caryatids on the south porch of Erechtheion, 7' 7" high.

Parthenon

Iktinos and Kallikrates, Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens, 447-438 BCE. High Classical
Harmonic proportions, built with war spoils by Pericles.



Centauromachy, south side of Parthenon, 447- 438 BCE. Marble, 4' 8" high.



Details of the Panatheniac Festival procession frieze, Parthenon, 447-438 BCE. Marble, 3' 6" high.

Doryphoros

Polykleitos, Doryphoros, Roman copy of bronze 450-440 BCE. Marble, 6' 11" high. Early Classical
Perfect man and order of human movement. Harmonic proportions and cross balances across the body.

Riace Warrior

Riace Warrior, Italy, 460-450 BCE. Bronze, 6' 6" high. Early Classical.
Development of contrapposto.

Herakles wrestling Antaios

Euphronios, Herakles wrestling Antaios, 510 BCE. Krater 1' 7" high. Archaic
Human body at specific viewpoint. Red-figure.

Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game

Exekias, Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game, 540-530 BBCE. Amphora 2' high.
Dramatic tension, coordination of poses and vase shape, and intricacy of engraved patterns. Black-figure.

Temple of Hera I

Temple of Hera I, Paestum, Italy, 550 BCE. Archaic
Peristyle.

Peplos Kore

Peplos Kore, from Acropolis, Athens, 530 BCE. Marble, 4' high.
Clothed, votive goddess statue.

Kouros

Kouros, Greece, 600 BCE. Marble, 6' 1/2" high. Archaic.
Egyptian pose but liberated from stone and nude.

Lion Gate

Lion Gate, Mycenae, Greece, 1300-1250 BCE. Limestone.
Relief of confronting lions on relieving triangle of main gate.

Snake Goddess

Snake Goddess, from the palace at Knossos, 1600 BCE, 1' 1 1/2" high
May be priestess; more likely goddess. Animal imagery.

Bull-leaping

Bull-leaping fresco, from the palace at Knossos, 1400- 1370 BCE. Fresco, 2' 8" high.

Palace at Knossos

Palace at Knossos, Greece, 1700- 1370 BCE. Minoan. 

Labyrinthine layout, top to bottom tapered columns.

Cycladic harp player

Male harp player, from Keros, Greece, 2600-2300 BCE. Marble, 9" high. Cycladic.
Geometric shapes, aural elements.

Figurine of a woman

Figurine of a woman, Cyclades, Greece, 2600-2300 BCE. Marble, 1' 6" high. Cycladian.
Triangle composition, found at grave site.

Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters

Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters, from Amarna, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, 1353-1335 BCE. Limestone, 1' 1/4" high. Amarna period.
Provided rare intimate glimpse at royal family in a domestic setting. Family basks in the life-giving rays of Aton the sun disk. The rays only touch Nefertiti, the high priestess.

Akhenaton

Akhenaton, from the temple of Aton, Karnak, Egypt, 18th Dynasty. 1353-1335 BCE. Sandstone, 13' high. Amarna Period.
Akhenaton initiated both religious and artistic revolutions. Androgynous figure is reaction against tradition. May be an attempt to portray Akhenaton as Aton, the sexless sun disk. 

Nebamun hunting foul

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Nebamun hunting foul, from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt. 18th dynasty, 1400- 1350 BCE. Fresco secco, 2' 8"high. New Kingdom.
Inscription says Nebamun is enjoying recreational activities in his eternal afterlife.

Temple of Amen-Re

Temple of Amen-Re, Karnak, Egpyt, begun 15th century BCE. New Kingdom
Vast temple complex contains artificial lake associated with primeval waters of Egyptian creation myth.


Hypostyle hall, temple of Amen-Re. 1290-1224 BCE.
Raising of two center columns creates clerestory to let in light.

Mortuary temple of Hepshepsut

Mortuary temple of Hepshepsut, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, 1473-1458 BCE. Middle Kingdom.
First great female Egyptian monarch whose name was recorded. Funerary temple included shrines to Amen.

Ti watching a hippopotamus hunt

Ti watching a hippopotamus hunt, relief in the mastaba of Ti, Fifth Dynasty, 2450-2350 BCE. Painted limestone, 4' high. Old Kingdom.
Successful hunt represented triumph over evil. Hierarchical scale.

Menkaure and Khamerernebty

Menkaure and Khamerernebty, frim Gizah, Egypt, Fourth Dynasty, 2490-2472 BCE. Graywacke, 4' 6 1/2" high. Old Kingdom.
Double portrait displays conventional postures for ka statues.

Palette of King Narmer

Palette of King Narmer, Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, 3000-2920 BCE. Slate, 2' 1" high.
Falcon god Horus stands on what represents defeated Lower Egypt. Hathor, who was believed to be the mother of the pharoah, is shown in the top corners. Narmer is largest figure, shown in composite view, united Upper and Lower Egypt. Intertwined animal heads may represent unification of the two kingdoms.

Darius' Apadana

Persepolis, Iran 521-465 BCE. Persian.
Heavily fortified complex of Persian royal buildings located on large plateau included royal audience hall, or apadana.


Persians and Medes, detail of processional frieze on terrace of apadana, Persepolis, Iran. 521-465 BCE. Limestone, 8' 4" high.
Reliefs decorating walls depicted representatives of 23 nations bringing tribute to the Persian king.

Ashurbanipal hunting lions

Ashurbanipal hunting lions, relief from the palace of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Iraq. 645-640 BCE. Gypsum, 5' 4" high.  Assyrian.
Assyrian viewed hunting and killing lions as manly royal virtues on par with military victory. Lions treated as a formidable and respected fallen foe.

Lamassu

Lamassu, from the citadel of Sargon II, Iraq. 750-705 BCE. Limestone, 13' 10" high. Assyrian.
Complete view. Composite monster guards Assyrian palace.

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

Victory Stele of Naram-sin, from Susa, Iraq, 2254-2218 BCE. Pink sandstone, 6' 7" high. Akkadian
Commemorate victory over Lullabi, shows Naram-sin leading army up mountain. Staggered figures, abandoned traditional register format.

Head Of Akkadian Ruler

Head of Akkadian Ruler, from Ninevah, Iraq, 2250-2200 BCE. Copper, 1' 2 3/8" high

Oldest known life-size hollow cast, distinctive personal features and abstract patterns. Damaged by vandals in antiquity.

Banquet Scene, cylinder seal

Banquet scene, cylinder seal, Iraq. ca. 2600-2700 BCE. Lapis lazuli, 1 7/8" high, 1" diameter. Mesopotamian.
Used to identify and secure goods.