7 Things You Should Know About Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, born in Venice in 1720 but later adopted by Rome, emerged as a preeminent illustrator of archaeological antiquities...
Celia Leiva Otto 22 August 2025
Ancient Rome
Have You Ever Seen Ancient Sculptures’ Colors?
We admire the beauty and plasticity of ancient sculptures, how harmoniously they fit into the surrounding landscape. But we rarely ask ourselves the...
Elizaveta Ermakova 18 July 2025
Masterpiece Story: St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican
St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most iconic buildings in Western culture. But, the facade we see today is the culmination of centuries of...
Ledys Chemin 18 April 2025
How to Identify a Roman Emperor by His Beard
How many times have you walked into a museum full of statues or busts and not been able to tell one ancient sculpture from another? It can be...
Lauren Dorsey 10 January 2025
Born of Fire: Ancient Roman Glass
Ancient Roman glass objects were functional and decorative beauties. Roman glass artisans experimented with glass-making techniques and applied...
Marga Patterson 2 August 2024
Banquet Hall with Roman Frescoes Unearthed in Pompeii After 2,000 Years
Archeologists have discovered a spectacular banquet hall decorated with frescoes depicting mythological characters during the excavations currently...
Natalia Iacobelli 18 April 2024
Red Porphyry: Symbol of Imperial Power
Red porphyry is a rare dense stone from a remote quarry in the Egyptian desert. It bears a striking red and purple hue that commanded great interest...
Maya M. Tola 12 October 2023
A Woman with A Knife: The Story of Lucretia
If you see a woman with a knife in a painting – think of Lucretia. She was an ancient Roman heroine whose fate played a vital role in the...
Zuzanna Stańska 11 June 2023
The Portrait of Rome’s Decline: Bust of Decius
The turmoil of Rome’s decline in the 3rd century enclosed the 21-month reign of Decius. His tenure as emperor was not exceptionally short for the...
Guest Author 11 June 2023
Three Unique Portrayals of Europa’s Abduction Myth
The mesmerizing realm of Greek mythology is one of the greatest sources for artists to exhibit their technical brilliance and unique interpretations.
Erol Degirmenci 9 May 2023
Ancient Bikini Girls from the Roman Mosaics
If you have ever wondered when the history of the bikini began, it started at the same time and place in history as philosophy, mathematics, and art:...
Magda Michalska 15 March 2023
The Lansdowne Heracles at the Getty Villa
Heracles (or Hercules) is perhaps the most frequently depicted hero in Greek and Roman art. This sculpture from approximately 125 CE, known as the...
Maya M. Tola 29 December 2022
