Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii

Artists in Roman Italy created exquisite landscapes that reflect close ties with their environment, ranging from images of sunny seaside villas and tranquil country shrines to colorful views of Greece and Egypt. This groundbreaking volume explores the intimate connections between these works and ancient Romans’ social, political and religious lives. Essays by six distinguished scholars discuss landscapes in a variety of media that decorated urban houses and tombs in Rome, Pompeii and Herculaneum and sumptuous coastal villas on the Bay of Naples. The catalog features more than 65 wall paintings, marble sculptures, mosaics, and costly drinking vessels in silver and cameo glass from 100 BC to AD 200, including rarely seen works from museums and archeological sites in Italy. Richly illustrated, this timely volume reflects shared human concerns about control and development of the land, about the competing demands of wealth and piety, and about preserving natural resources.

Jessica Powers is Gilbert M. Denman, Jr., Curator of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World at the San Antonio Museum of Art.