Early Cycladic Art in North American Collections

Documenting an exhibition of 147 early Cycladic artifacts arranged by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, this comprehensive survey of marble vessels and sculpture, produced in the Aegean Cycladic islands between 3200 and 2200 B.C., will serve as an excellent reference for students and a rich, accessible guide for collectors or readers with an interest in pre-Christian art. Three essays include a lucid archaeological perspective on aspects of Cycladic civilization by University of Illinois at Chicago classicist Davis; a masterfully detailed analysis by ancient art scholar Getz-Preziosi (Sculptors of the Cyclades) of correspondent formal and decorative developments among figurative and functional objects across three distinct, increasingly sophisticated phases of Cycladic history; and a brief study by NYU doctoral candidate Oustinoff on the materials and methods of the Cycladic artisan. Useful maps and charts, meticulous line drawings and many black-and-white photographs displaying multiple views of the figures and vessels punctuate the text. But truly memorable here are 16 full-color plates, chronologically representing the exhibition in its entirety, revealing works of extraordinary grace, charm and skill, and the fascinating logic of their evolution. (May)