Art History 290CM - Classical Myth in Ancient Art

Many ancient images tell completely different versions of myth from those in Greek and Roman literary sources. By juxtaposing distinctive modes of communication in the ancient world, students will analyze the rhetorical uses of myth, both then and now. Myths appear in a range of media (sculpture, mosaic, fresco, lamps, and gems) and contexts (domestic, sacred, political). Which stories were represented? and what do we know about their reception among ancient viewers? Original objects in the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum offer case studies.