Apollo was the great Olympian god of light and the sun, prophecy and oracles, healing, plague and disease, music, song and poetry, archery, and the protection of the young. His father was Zeus and his twin sister was the virgin goddess Diana Artemis the Huntress. He was depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long…
Minoan Frescoes | Ancient Island Life
From the Greek Islands of Thera and Crete during the years of 3000-2000 BC, the great Minoan Civilization traversed the Mediterranean, trading with the Egyptians and establishing colonies on every coast. They disappeared after the volcanic destruction of Thera, leaving behind remnants of a highly advanced culture including magnificently detailed, colorful frescoes. The frescoes of ancient…
Beauty in African Art
Zulu Ceremonial African Spoon (Zoulou, late 19th century)The Zulu People live in what is now the South African province KwaZulu-Natal. Compared to other peoples in Africa, the Zulus did not produce a lot of sculptures. Most of their artwork consisted of utensils like cutlery and head rests. But of what is known, their artwork is…
Egyptian Art Replicas
Preserved in elaborate imperial tombs and pyramids, Egyptian sculptures and wall hangings offer insight into a culture which flourished in Upper and Lower Egypt four thousand years ago. Napoleon collected them for the Louvre when he advanced on Egypt in the 19th century. The skill of reading hieroglyphs was lost until the Rosetta Stone was…
Greek Roman Female Statues
There are so many iconic Greek Roman Female Statues in museums around the world. Here we showcase a selection of original statues that are frequently reproduced as museum replicas and sold in the reproduction art market. These items have been customer favorites for 20 years. We look at famous originals in our article. At the bottom,…
Greek Roman Wall Reliefs
Some of the most famous ancient Greek and Roman wall art survive as wall hangings in museums. The ancient classical civilizations created wall paintings, mosaics from glass and semi-precious stone and carved marble raised reliefs. Here are is a comparison of materials used in ancient wall art: fresco wall painting in vibrant hues called fresco…
Greek Roman Male Statues
There are so many iconic Greek Roman Male Statues in museums around the world. Here we showcase a selection of original statues that are frequently reproduced as museum replicas and sold in the reproduction art market. These items have been favorites of our customers for 25 years. We look at famous originals in our article. At…
Medieval Tapestry – Bayeux, Lady Unicorn
Wall tapestries have been a functional art form since the middle ages. Artisans first stitched and wove on looms decorative scenes of nature, leadership, and religion. They are an extension of ancient wall frescoes interpreted in woven thread. Usually completed on a large scale for royalty within a workshop, they were hung on castle walls…
Pre-Greek | Cycladic Minoan Mycenaean
In Art History, three Greek Bronze Age cultures — Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean — offer us insight into early Greek life. The region of the Greek Islands was a sea-faring, culture sharing community both trading and warring through their proximity. Unified by the sea, cultures that took advantage of trade built large palaces rich with artwork and…
Art Nouveau Ushering in Modernity
Art Nouveau is French for “New Art”. It was a multinational art movement in the period of 1880 to 1915 that reflected the need to transition from the traditional art into the modern industrial age. The spirit of the movement was to enhance the life of the people by incorporating artistic expressions into the daily objects….