Once a thriving port city on the island of Cyprus, the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, Salamis offers a tantalizing glimpse into the island's vast history. The ruins of the ancient city occupy an extensive area (one square mile) extending along the seashore against the backdrop of dunes and a forest of acacias. According to ancient Greek… Continue reading Wandering along the colonnade of the Gymnasium of Salamis, Cyprus
During a recent trip to Rome, I paid a long overdue visit to the Centrale Montemartini, an annexe of the Capitoline Museums located on the Via Ostiense just beyond Porta San Paolo. Centrale Montemartini was Rome's first electrical power station when it opened in 1912, and was later converted into a museum of ancient Roman… Continue reading When in Rome… a visit to the Centrale Montemartini
This month’s sculpture from Hadrian’s Villa is a red-marble statue of a satyr, the so-called "Fauno rosso" (red faun). The Fauno rosso depicts a satyr follower of Dionysus, the god of wine. He is depicted entirely nude, apart from a nebris (faun skin) knotted on the right shoulder and hanging down over his left shoulder.… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Statue of a satyr in red marble
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble head of a female divinity, probably Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and queen of the underworld. The head is closely related to the head of Persephone, which is on display in the Museo Barracco in Rome (the Barracco-Budapest type female head, Inv. MB 85), and to the… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble head of a female divinity, Persephone?
In honour of Museum Week, the worldwide festival for cultural institutions on social media (#MuseumWeek), I invite you today to discover some of my favourite sculptures from the collections of the Musée Saint-Raymond in Toulouse (France). The museum is among the best and richest archaeological museums in France where visitors can discover the Roman town… Continue reading The Labours of Hercules reliefs from the Villa Chiragan, Musée Saint-Raymond Toulouse (France)
This week is Museum Week, the worldwide festival that celebrates the many museums, galleries and cultural institutions that make valuable contributions to the arts, history and culture around the world. More than 2,200 museums, galleries and cultural institutions from over 64 countries will come together on Twitter for #MuseumWeek including the Corinium Museum in Cirencester… Continue reading 7 Roman wonders from the Corinium Museum in Cirencester (UK)
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble head of Antinous depicted as the god Dionysos, the closest Greek equivalent to the Egyptian god Osiris. It was unearthed in 1769 during excavations undertaken by the art dealer and archaeologist Gavin Hamilton who secured it for Lord Lansdowne. The latter was an avid collector of… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: The Lansdowne Antinous
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble head of a companion of Odysseus, copied after a famous work of the Hellenistic period. This head shows the face of a man who probably belonged to a multi-figure group depicting Odysseus with his twelve companions blinding the one-eyed giant and the most famous Cyclopes, Polyphemus,… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble head of a companion of Odysseus
Anyone interested in Roman Britain should have St Albans on their list of places to visit. I visited St Albans twice and enjoyed it on both occasions. A short train ride north of London, St Albans is a must-see. There are a few remains of the Roman town still visible (Verulamium), such as parts of… Continue reading Exploring Verulamium, the Roman city of St Albans (UK)
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble statue of a young nude, the so-called 'Capitoline Antinous'. It was found in 1723/24 when Giuseppe Fede undertook the earliest concerted excavations at the Villa Adriana. However, its exact provenance within the Villa is unknown. Considering that this work was found at Villa Adriana and owing… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Statue of the young god Hermes, known as ‘Capitoline Antinous’
