Kiki Karoglou

Medusa, the monstrous Gorgon of Greek mythology whose gaze turned beholders to stone, became increasingly anthropomorphic and feminine beginning in the fifth century B.C. A similar transformation occurred in representations of other female half-human beings from Greek myth, such as sphinxes, sirens, and the sea monster Scylla. Believed to have protective powers, these mythical hybrid creatures were frequently employed on sepulchral monuments, sacred architecture, military equipment, drinking vessels, and the luxury arts. Their metamorphosis was a consequence of the idealizing humanism of Greek art of the Classical period (480–323 B.C.), which understood beauty as the result of harmony and ideal proportions, a concept that influenced not only the representation of the human body but also that of mythological beings. “Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art,” on view at The Met until January 6, 2019, is organized by Kiki Karoglou, Associate Curator in the Department of Greek and Roman Art, who is also the author of this Bulletin. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Verdana}

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v.75, no. 3 (Winter, 2017)

Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art

Medusa in Classical Art

Dangerous Beauty

Christine Kondoleon

Dorothy H. Abramitis

Ariel Herrmann

Seán Hemingway

Carmelo Malacrino

Christopher S. Lightfoot

Joan R. Mertens

Olga Palagia

Agnes Schwarzmaier

Dominique Robcis

Andreas Scholl

Susan I. Rotroff

Lillian Bartlett Stoner

Karen Stamm

R. R. R. Smith

Jeffrey Spier

Alessandro Viscogliosi

Mark Wypyski

Ute Wartenberg

Paul Zanker

Sophie Descamps-Lequime

Marsha Hill

This handsome newly designed addition to The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s symposia series furthers the study of one of the most influential but less known periods of Greek art and culture. It is based on papers given at a two-day scholarly symposium held in conjunction with the award-winning exhibition “Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World,” on view at the Metropolitan in 2016. The twenty diverse essays exemplify the international scope of the Hellenistic arts, which cover the three centuries between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. and the suicide of Cleopatra in 30 B.C. Subjects range from twenty-first century approaches to museum displays of archaeological material to the circulation of artists and works of art throughout the Mediterranean and the influence of Hellenistic art and its legacy in the ancient Roman world. Among the topics discussed are aspects of royal self-presentation and important elements of iconography and style in coins, gems, mosaics, sculpture, vessels, and wall paintings, in mediums including bronze, faience, glass, marble, silver, and terracotta. Authored by a number of internationally renowned scholars, the essays in this volume highlight the holdings of the Metropolitan and markedly demonstrate the artistic innovations and technical mastery of Hellenistic artists, offering new insights into the vitality and complexity of Hellenistic art. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Verdana}

From Pergamon to Rome

Art of the Hellenistic Kingdoms

Kiki Karoglou

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