http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1698 News for Art Historians Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:57:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1698&cpage=1#comment-138631 Kelly Presutti Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:11:19 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1698#comment-138631 Having recently been to the Acropolis, I have to say I agree with the problems the visitor faces in attempting to view the site as, perhaps, they would have imagined it after an art history survey course: a pristine example of mathematical perfection, ideal proportions and beautiful harmony. However, the new Acropolis museum more than makes up for this - and in fact, counteracts the rather limited perception of the hill we tend to have. The museum, of necessity, presents a much broader view of ancient Greece than the strict classicism we are familiar with from the sculptural examples in New York, London, Los Angeles, Paris, etc. In the museum, the Acropolis is linked to the civilizations at its base, the daily experience of Athens' citizens, their rituals and beliefs, and the rather violent evolution of the site over time. While the crowds and noise deny an experience of purity and isolation, they are perhaps more exemplary of the reality of the panathenaic festival than we care to acknowledge. Having recently been to the Acropolis, I have to say I agree with the problems the visitor faces in attempting to view the site as, perhaps, they would have imagined it after an art history survey course: a pristine example of mathematical perfection, ideal proportions and beautiful harmony. However, the new Acropolis museum more than makes up for this – and in fact, counteracts the rather limited perception of the hill we tend to have. The museum, of necessity, presents a much broader view of ancient Greece than the strict classicism we are familiar with from the sculptural examples in New York, London, Los Angeles, Paris, etc. In the museum, the Acropolis is linked to the civilizations at its base, the daily experience of Athens’ citizens, their rituals and beliefs, and the rather violent evolution of the site over time. While the crowds and noise deny an experience of purity and isolation, they are perhaps more exemplary of the reality of the panathenaic festival than we care to acknowledge.

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