Studies in the History of Art, Volume 49: The Interpretation of Architectural Sculpture in Greece and Rome

This is a publication by the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA), the Gallery's research institute.

Ways in which sculptures adorning the most important temples in fifth-century Greece reflect the political issues of the time are explored by ten scholars. In contrast, the question is addressed for imperial Rome, a period known for widespread use of propagandistic architectural sculpture. The authors identify a political message in all the monuments considered, from veiled claims for territorial power to glorification of the institutions of the Roman Empire.