Terracotta squat lekythos (oil flask)

Washing Painter

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Woman and Eros. The representation may not be as simple as it appears. The seated lady faces Eros, who replaces a servant in holding a casket. The casket would normally be thought to contain jewelry and small personal items, but in the hands of Eros the contents may be less banal. Noteworthy also is the juxtaposition of the bird and Eros. While the bird may be merely a pet, it is given prominence and therefore invites comparison with the winged youth.

Greek and Roman Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than thirty thousand works ranging in date from the Neolithic period (ca. 4500 B.C.) to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312. It includes the art of many cultures and is among the most comprehensive in North America. The geographic regions represented are Greece and Italy, but not as delimited by modern political frontiers: Greek colonies were established around the Mediterranean basin and on the shores of the Black Sea, and Cyprus became increasingly Hellenized. For Roman art, the geographical limits coincide with the expansion of the Roman Empire. The department also exhibits the art of prehistoric Greece (Helladic, Cycladic, and Minoan) and pre-Roman art of Italic peoples, notably the Etruscans.

Metropolitan Museum of Art