Etruscan civilization flourished in central Italy from around the ninth century bc to the first or second ad, coinciding with the emergence of the Iron Age. The rise of Rome in subsequent centuries led to the general absorption of Etruscan culture and the loss of their identity. Early artefacts include impasto urns with incised decoration, painted geometric vases and bronze implements with incised decoration. Non‐utilitarian funerary pottery and metal ornaments were placed in burials, with Etruscan art retaining a funerary focus. The art is also marked by a steadily increasing emphasis on representational forms, with the emergence of human figural scenes and narrative art.
Nigel Spivey has written an impressive survey of Etruscan art, updating readers on the latest research and archaeological discoveries. Spivey recounts why so little is really known about the Etruscans and what their art actually meant to them. We can only make guesses as we have no literary record of Etruscan society, only inscriptions.
As with all publications in the World of Art series, Spivey’s Etruscan Art is generously illustrated and the reader is left wondering at the relics of this ancient civilization. Spivey examines the emergence of Etruscan culture, the influence of the Orient and the emergence of Etruscan cities as centres of art. Finally, he examines the impact of Roman expansion and the Etruscan legacy that remains. We see examples of richly frescoed tombs, exquisite jewellery and sculpture, metalwork and painted vases which have come from such Etruscan sites as Cerveteri, Tarquinia and Vulci. This is a thoroughly commendable publication, contributing to the recent interest and literature on the Etruscans. At only £6.95 it is most affordable, too.
