30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World

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30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World

2013

Thousands of years before Picasso or Gauguin put brush to canvas, artists all over the world were creating works of stunning opulence, realism, and drama--always with a clear purpose. Ancient art history expert Diana Krumholz...

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Features
Diana McDonald Ph.D.

In This Series

Where Do We Come From?
Episode 1
Where Do We Come From?
Ancient Cave Art—Chauvet, France
Episode 2
Ancient Cave Art—Chauvet, France
The Uruk Vase—Vision of an Ordered World
Episode 3
The Uruk Vase—Vision of an Ordered World
The Standard of Ur—Role of the King
Episode 4
The Standard of Ur—Role of the King
“Ram Caught in a Thicket”
Episode 5
“Ram Caught in a Thicket”
Great Ziggurat at Ur—Ancient Architecture
Episode 6
Great Ziggurat at Ur—Ancient Architecture
Victory Stela of Naram-Sin of Akkad
Episode 7
Victory Stela of Naram-Sin of Akkad
Neo-Assyrian Palace Reliefs
Episode 8
Neo-Assyrian Palace Reliefs
“Queen of the Night”—Babylonian Goddess
Episode 9
“Queen of the Night”—Babylonian Goddess
Ishtar Gate and Processional Way
Episode 10
Ishtar Gate and Processional Way
The Ancient City of Persepolis
Episode 11
The Ancient City of Persepolis
Palette of Narmer—The Conquering King
Episode 12
Palette of Narmer—The Conquering King
Statue of Khafre—Rebirth of a King
Episode 13
Statue of Khafre—Rebirth of a King
Tutankhamun’s Mask
Episode 14
Tutankhamun’s Mask
Tomb Painting of Nefertari
Episode 15
Tomb Painting of Nefertari
Kritios Boy—Idealized Athletic Youth
Episode 16
Kritios Boy—Idealized Athletic Youth
Discobolus—Motion in Sculpture
Episode 17
Discobolus—Motion in Sculpture
Parthenon Marbles—Metopes and Frieze
Episode 18
Parthenon Marbles—Metopes and Frieze
Greek Vase Painting—“Death of Sarpedon”
Episode 19
Greek Vase Painting—“Death of Sarpedon”
Aphrodite of Knidos
Episode 20
Aphrodite of Knidos
Laocoön—Three-Dimensional Narrative
Episode 21
Laocoön—Three-Dimensional Narrative
Column of Trajan
Episode 22
Column of Trajan
Bronzes of Ancient China
Episode 23
Bronzes of Ancient China
Great Stupa at Sanchi
Episode 24
Great Stupa at Sanchi
Borobudur—Ancient Buddhist Stupa
Episode 25
Borobudur—Ancient Buddhist Stupa
Colossal Olmec Heads
Episode 26
Colossal Olmec Heads
Sarcophagus Cover of Pakal at Palenque
Episode 27
Sarcophagus Cover of Pakal at Palenque
Carved Stone Lintels of Yaxchilán
Episode 28
Carved Stone Lintels of Yaxchilán
Teotihuacán—Temple of the Feathered Serpent
Episode 29
Teotihuacán—Temple of the Feathered Serpent
Colossal Stone Statue of Coatlicue
Episode 30
Colossal Stone Statue of Coatlicue
Aztec Calendar Stone
Episode 31
Aztec Calendar Stone
Moche Earspools—Miniature Masterpieces
Episode 32
Moche Earspools—Miniature Masterpieces
Ancient Andean Ceramics
Episode 33
Ancient Andean Ceramics
Ancient Andean Textiles
Episode 34
Ancient Andean Textiles
What Can We Learn from Ancient Art?
Episode 35
What Can We Learn from Ancient Art?
How Ancient Art Reverberates
Episode 36
How Ancient Art Reverberates