Ancient Glyptics and Museology

Kenneth Lapatin - The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Ancient Glyptics and Museology

• 7 aprile Aula Russo,  14.00-16.00 
• 11 aprile Aula Tonelli,  14.00-16.00
• 14 aprile Aula Russo,  14.00-16.00
• 16 aprile Aula Russo,  14.00-16.00
• 23 aprile Aula Russo,  14.00-16.00

Engraved gems (gylptics) are often overlooked in studies of ancient art and culture, although Greek and Latin literary sources attest vividly to their importance to those who owned, used, and viewed them and surviving examples in public and private collections leave no doubt as to the skill of those who made them. Two seminar presentations will examine their materials, techniques, and functions in antiquity as well as their post-antique fortuna. Two additional sessions will address issues of modern museology, not only those inherent in displaying minute, often difficult to read gems, but also those of presenting ancient art writ-large, including the challenges and opportunities of mounting both permanent and temporary exhibitions to modern audiences. A visit to Florentine collections will examine these issues in practice.

Img: Intaglio con busto di Demostene, firmato da Dioskourides. Los Angeles, The J. Paul Getty Museum, inv. 2019.13.15. Public Domain