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Posted in Ancient World, Antiquities, Education, Getty Villa

Reclining and Dining (and Drinking) in Ancient Rome

By Shelby Brown | Published: August 10, 2012
A Roman Feast / Roberto Bompiani

The ancient Greeks had a recumbent approach to their (male-only) dinner parties, as I discussed in a previous post: elite men reclined, propped on pillows, to drink, converse, and—sometimes—overindulge. The practice of reclining and dining continued into ancient Rome, but… More»

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Posted in Antiquities, Behind the Scenes, Education, Getty Villa

Reclining and Dining (and Drinking) in Ancient Greece

By Shelby Brown | Published: July 16, 2012
Getty Villa docent Don Petersen reclines on his left side, elbow raised on a stack of pillows, with his right knee bent. He holds a skyphos, a common stemless drinking cup.

Elite Greeks and Romans reclined to dine, and ordinary people copied them when they could. Although the practice seems strange to us, it must have been both comfortable and convenient, since reclining during meals spread throughout the Mediterranean and survived… More»

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      vcrfl:

      Gian Lorenzo Bernini: The Rape of Proserpina, 1622.

      Bernini completed his first bust at the age of 10! He was not only a prolific sculptor (and child prodigy), but was also a painter, draftsman and architect.


      06/19/13

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