by Ada Gabucci (2007)
This pocket-size reference draws on the vast treasures of this ancient civilization to illustrate the remarkable achievements of one of the great empires of the West, from the traditional date of Rome's founding - 754 B.C. - -until the fall of the Western Empire in A.D. 476, the year in which the last emperor, the boy Romulus Augustus, was deposed by the Goths and the imperial insignia was sent to Constantinople. Rome opens with a section on the major personages, such as Romulus and Remus, Pompey, and Constantine; each concise biography is complemented by full-color reproductions of portraits, ivories, coins, and monuments. A section on power and public life includes the grain dole, the army, the city's archives, and its imperial triumphs. A chapter on religion considers the major gods and cults, "Oriental" rites, and Christianity. The chapter devoted to daily life includes makeup, gambling, and portraiture, and is followed by a section on funerals and the dead. A section on the layout of the city is a must-read for any tourist to Rome. The book includes a map of the ancient city, a chronology, accounts of the major museums, an index, and a bibliography.
Ruth D. Lechuga, Chloë Sayer
In rural Mexico, folk festivals and the dances that accompany them mark the high point of local life. In preparation for these festivities, Old and New World traditions fuse to forge an awe-inspiring array of masks made by artisans whose talent is legendary. Mask Arts of Mexico provides a comprehensive and celebration of these wonderfully inventive masks and their creators in a rich display of artistry, vitality, beauty, and whimsy.
Jack Larkin
A social history of early America combines with more than four hundred photographs and drawings to look at everyday life, and the many different kinds of dwellings, at the dawn of the new republic, from the American Revolution to the Industrial Revolution.
Graciela María Viñuales ... [et al
"Splendid multiauthored volume is an important addition to Ediciones Encuentro of the Biblioteca Quinto Centenario. Fourteen erudite chapters offer comparative visions of the development of architecture and urbanism in the Spanish and Portuguese American colonies, emphasizing the viceroyalties of Mexico and Peru. Selected studies reflecting a variety of methodological approaches to the subject include 'Nuevos espacios para el culto' by Viñuales, 'El convento urbano' by Gutiérrez and Maeder, and 'Santuarios de peregrinación' by Nicolini. Excellent visual material consisting of color plates, b/w photographs, and architectural drawings accompanies the texts. Includes a comprehensive bibliography arranged by chapter"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.
Ariane Thomas
Témoignages longtemps inespérés et uniques à ce jour, les peintures de Tell Ahmar sont parmi les plus anciennes peintures conservées au musée du Louvre. Il y a plus de deux mille cinq cents ans, elles couvraient les murs d'un palais royal édifié dans les provinces occidentales de l'empire assyrien, sur le site de Tell Ahmar en Syrie actuelle. Les kilomètres de peintures qui y étaient miraculeusement conservées ont révélé un extraordinaire décor où se déployaient des scènes de guerre, de chasse ou d'audiences royales, fourmillant de détails et de mouvements. Le musée du Louvre conserve des fragments originaux de ces superbes peintures dont le reste a depuis disparu, hormis quelques vestiges au musée national d'Alep.