Classical Refractions: The Legacy of Antiquity in Visual Culture

Artists working in the ancient Mediterranean developed a powerful artistic tradition anchored on principles of realism, balance, and proportion that created a visual legacy beyond the fall of the Roman Empire. Since the resurgence in interest in Classical styles and themes in the Renaissance, imagemakers have often felt compelled to engage with the visual traditions of the Classical world. For some, this engagement was a push to reintegrate styles, themes, and techniques employed by Greek and Roman artists. For others, the visually powerful symbols of the ancient Mediterranean served as a jumping off point for critiquing the legacy of antiquity in structuring the Western world. Classical Refractions aims to explore ways artists have engaged with artistic traditions of Classical Antiquity from the Renaissance to the Contemporary. Classical Refractions is guest-curated by Dr. Robert Vander Poppen, Associate Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology and students in ARH 404 Museum Studies Practicum.