The Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum buried during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, then rediscovered in 1750 contained a large collection of bronze and marble statuary and busts. Before they were published or exhibited, the sculptures were restored so as to appear whole: it is thus that they helped to shape early modern tastes in classical sculpture. Scholars have sought to assign names to the individual busts and statues and to discover a unified, planned sculptural program for the decoration of the Villa dei Papiri. Here, however, more objective questions are asked: Are the bronzes uniform enough in production technique and alloy or marble source to justify the notion of a single sculptural program? Did the owner of the Villa purchase the statues from one or from several sources?

About the Author

Carol C. Mattusch is Mathy Professor of Art History at George Mason University in Virginia.

Book Information
ISBN 9780892367221
Author . Mattusch
Format Hardback
Page Count 392
Imprint Getty Publications
Publisher Getty Trust Publications
Weight(grams) 2678g
Dimensions(mm) 316mm * 238mm * 42mm