This volume is part of the Classical World Series whose target audience is Classical Civilisation students and teachers. These brief guides are designed to give an overview of their topic and provide some in-depth discussion of problems along with references to further resources for more detailed study.
The topic is a daunting one for such a small volume. M.'s strategy is to combine chronological and thematic approaches. Thus, while the first chapter deals with the origin of Greek sculpture, funerary sculpture and architectural sculpture are given separate chapters. The book is divided into seven chapters – ‘The Origins of Greek Sculpture’; ‘Funerary Sculpture’; ‘Sculpture for the Gods’; ‘Sculpture as Propaganda? Sculpture from Architectural Settings’; ‘A Change of Focus: Sculpture in the Hellenistic Period’; ‘A Question of Medium: Stone and Bronze’; ‘Collectors and Collecting’. This division is for the most part successful, providing both a broad historical outline as well as a discussion of deeper issues. The book ends with a useful glossary of terms, suggestions for further reading and a discussion of where to see Greek sculpture. Because a comprehensively illustrated volume would detract from convenience of use and affordability, M.'s focus is primarily on text rather than illustrations. Since M. discusses well-known pieces, she refers the reader to the museum numbers so that they can find pictures elsewhere.
M. goes beyond merely listing and describing the relevant sculptures by including in each chapter a case study in which she goes into more detail about a specific issue. For example, in Chapter 1 the case study is the role of Egypt and the Near East. She shows that these areas were important stimuli for the development of Greek sculpture. These in-depth discussions make the book more than a generic handbook and help provide a catalyst for instructors and students to pursue a deeper understanding of the subject. However, the case studies are uneven in their treatment of the topics. For example, Chapter 4 deals with sculpture as propaganda. The selected case study, the Parthenon, would seem to be the ideal focus but, while M. does suggest that the sculptural themes may be connected to the Persian War, she does not mention the controversies surrounding the Parthenon frieze. Students should at least be made aware of the issues surrounding the monument. The bibliography omits J. Neils' 2001 book on the Parthenon frieze, which would be an excellent resource for students.
M.'s writing is lively and clear. Despite the omissions discussed above, the book fulfils the mission of the series. It is an accessible, compact and well-written scholarly guide to the topic.
