Roman Art from the Louvre

Published to accompany a traveling exhibition organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Musee du Louvre, this publication features an extraordinary selection of these works dating from the first century B.C. to the early fourth century A.D.?from the most famous to some with new significance resulting from new information. Themes such as religion, urbanism, war, imperial expansion, funerary practices, intellectual life, and family are vividly represented in mosaics, frescoes, bronze and terracotta statuettes, monumental sculptures, sarcophagi, reliefs, and glass and metal vessels. The catalogue also covers the careful procedures of cleaning and repair that took place during the collection's restoration. The resulting reincarnation of the Louvre's pieces transforms the contemporary view of early Roman public and private life, conveying a novel perspective and understanding of these ancient masterpieces. With comprehensive essays by a team of scholars on emperorship, citizenship, architecture, decorative arts, and religion, this title presents a complete picture of life in ancient Rome. AUTHOR: Daniel Roger and Cecile Giroire are curators in the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities Department of the Musee du Louvre. 185 colour plates