It is said the British Museum's collection of Greek and Roman antiquities is one of the best in the world both in terms of its quality and depth, and author, Dyfri Williams, illustrates this in Masterpieces of Classical Art. As Research Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities in the British Museum, Williams has written and lectured widely on the classical world. His other publications include Greek Vases, Greek Gold and the Warren Cup.
A dictionary definition of the word masterpiece is an “outstanding piece of artistry or workmanship [or] a person's best work” (Thompson, 1992). The term masterpiece in the medieval world was a piece of work for which a craftsman received his masters' patent and so could set up his own workshop and take on and train his own helpers. Williams states in the preface that both today's view of what a masterpiece is “… a piece that challenges our preconceptions of the world” and pieces which are representative of their time and place, are included in this book.
Masterpieces of Classical Art is highly illustrated with over 250 full colour photographs from the British Museum's collection and features works from “prehistoric Greece, through the classical period and the Roman Empire until the reign of Constantine the Great [spanning] nearly 5000 years of Mediterranean civilisation”. Over 160 of the most important and “beautiful” works of art are included which are split into 158 sections. Each work is illustrated in many cases by new photographs commissioned especially for this book, often with a close up. The details and dimensions of the artwork are given along with details of purchase where known.
The book is split into seven chapters; Prehistoric Greece (c.4500‐1000 BC), The Early Greek World (c.1000‐500 BC), The Classical Greek World (c.500‐323 BC), The Hellenistic World (c.323‐31 BC), Ancient Cyprus (c.3000‐100 BC), Early Italy (c.3000‐100 BC), and Rome and its Empire (c.100 BC‐AD 300).
Each Chapter begins with a two‐page introduction to the time period providing background and context. The entry for each piece is very descriptive presenting unique insights into particular features of the artwork and sometimes the materials used to create it. Each entry is made up of a descriptive account of the piece of art, sometimes giving opinion/comment, for example, the artwork on the Warren Cup is said to depict the Roman view of Greek pedestry. History behind the artworks is also explained such as in the case of the Seianti Sarcophagus which was reportedly found in 1886, alone in a small rock‐cut chamber tomb at Poggio Cantarello, near Chiusi in Etururia. The British Museum has half of the most famous sculptures from this period, the Parthenon Sculptures, in its collection and Williams devotes six pages to it. As well as famous pieces lesser known but equally important works are included.
Various different materials were used such as clay, gold, bronze, stone, marble, wood, glass and wax (used hot as paint). The different works of art produced are portraits in bronze and paint, stone friezes, bowls, vases, sculpture, jewellery and coins. Through time we see the rise in the various types of artwork produced and their inspirations such as Gods like Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and public figures such as Roman emperor Hadrian. Historic and fictional events for instance wars and scenes from stories and fables are also often used.
There is a three page history on the British Museum's Collection. Where it refers to works in its collection it gives their entry numbers in the book. Thanks to money received from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Arts Collections Fund, the museum has been able to purchase “objects of the greatest importance from old collections in Britain and abroad such as the Braganza Brooch, the Warren Cup and the Jennings Dog”. Also included in the book are maps of the areas that the art has come from, timelines giving key dates from the different time periods, and a glossary of various Greek and Roman terms and characters. The further reading section is organized into countries and time periods, e.g. Prehistoric Greece/Early and Classical Greece and the Hellenistic World and there is a decent index to finish.
Masterpieces of Classical Art is a good introduction to the collection of the British Museum and would be of interest to students of this subject or readers with a general interest in the classical world. The book gives an ample overview of Greek and Roman antiquities and the time in which they were created.
