Nikolaus Himmelmann is a distinguished scholar who has written extensively on Greek and Roman art and the reception of ancient art in the post-antique world. The primary theme of his works is the manner in which ancient art communicated in its time and how modern cultures have dealt with the fundamentally ambiguous characteristics of ancient art. The work contained in this volume provides an introduction to Himmelmann's critical approach to Greek art and to the function of art in any society. The book is divided into two parts. The first focuses on the correlation of form and content in Greek painting and sculpture. The second presents Himmelmann's reflections on both a method of approach to works of ancient art and the role of antiquity in contemporary society. (view table of contents)