If the sacrificial liver looks bad, stay home…and other soothsaying wisdom from ancient Rome. More»
There’s a new emperor in town—an 8-foot-tall bronze Tiberius, to be exact. More»
Did you know Romans kept eels as pets and bought them…jewelry? Come stroll the grounds of this 40-year-young institution to hear that story and a few others besides. More»
Conservators from around the world have gathered in Rome to learn techniques for preserving stone artworks and monuments. More»
Ovid’s Ars Amatoria serves up the rules of ancient Roman dating and sex—some hilarious, some mildly horrifying. More»
The real ancient world of Greece and Rome was much like our own: colorful, human, and messy. The Villa Teen Apprentices take it on. More»
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A Greek, a Roman, and a priest walk into a bar… More»
“I can really appreciate the ancient system where borrowing, amalgamating, and generally mixing it up was perfectly acceptable.” More»
If Karl Rove had lived in ancient Rome, he might have written something like Commentariolum Petitiones, a down-and-dirty electioneering guide from 64 B.C. just published in English by Princeton University Press as How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide… More»
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»
Masked Harlequin, the commedia dell’arte’s leading man, lures an innocent, elegantly dressed young lady into the world of prostitution. She’s caught the eye of a displeased young man, dressed in dapper clothes. They stand out in this scene of costumed characters in exaggerated clothing.
Gillot’s light, quick brushstrokes mimics the satirical subject and lighthearted portrayal of human folly.
Fashion Fridays explores art, history, and costume inspired by the exhibition Rococo to Revolution #NowOnView
Scene from the Italian Comedy (recto), about 1700, Claude Gillot. The J. Paul Getty Museum