UI to host archaeology lecturer Andrew Stewart

Visiting professor Andrew Stewart will give a lecture, “Individuality and Innovation in Greek Sculpture,” Monday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Art Building West on the University of Iowa campus. The talk is free and open to the public.

The work of ancient Greek sculptors was often influenced by images of Alexander the Great. In this mirror (revealed by lifting the ring below the relief), the mythical woodland creature Pan bears resemblance to Alexander. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The craftsmanship of ancient Greek sculpture was exceptional, but the style imposed certain limitations on the creativity of the individual artist.

Despite this, the fifth century B.C. saw remarkable work by artists such as Kritios and Nesiotes (the Tyrannicides), Polykleitos (Doryphoros), Phidias (Athena Parthenos), Paionios (Nike at Olympia), and the creators of the sculptures at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.

Stewart will examine these and other examples to show what individual achievement could amount to in that golden century.

Stewart is a professor of Ancient Mediterranean Art and the Nicolas C. Petris Professor of Greek Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. His lecture is part of the Norton Lecture series, named for Charles Eliot Norton, the founder and first President of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and former Professor of the History of Art at Harvard University. The Norton Lectureship is part of the AIA’s National Lecture Program.

Stewart’s visit is supported by the Office of the State Archaeologist, the UI Museum of Natural History, the UI departments of Anthropology, Classics, and Religious Studies, and the School of Art and Art History in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact the School of Art and Art History in advance at 319-335-1376.