Shaky Ground Context Connoisseurship And The History Of Roman Art Elizabeth Marlowe by Elizabeth Marlowe 9781472555755, 1472555759 instant download after payment.

The recent crisis in the world of antiquities collecting has prompted scholars and the general public to pay more attention than ever before to the questions of archaeological findspots and collecting history for newly found objects. When it comes to famous works that have been in major museums for many generations, such questions are rarely asked. Canonical pieces like Barberini Togatus or the Fonseca bust of a Flavian lady appear in virtually every textbook on Roman art. But we have no more certainty about these works' archaeological origins than we do about those that appear in auction catalogues today. This book argues that the question of archaeological origins should be the first asked, not only by museum acquisitions boards, but by scholars as well.