Religion and Art in Ancient Greece

The images through which ancient Greeks approached their gods provide the focus of Ernest Arthur Gardner's study. He considers how sacred objects and sculpted figures expressed religious ideals, and how artists influenced public ideas of divinity. Temples, reliefs and painted vases also enter the discussion. These works preserve signs of beliefs and customs that can supplement the accounts of ancient poets and historians.

Gardner distinguishes early figures shaped closely around blocks of stone or wooden trunks from statues that adopt a complete human form. His account considers influences from Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as the traditions of Greek sculptors. Chapters on idealism, individualism and symbolism extend his examination of the relationship between worship and artistic choices. For readers interested in ancient religion or sculpture, the book offers a compact introduction to understanding sacred images as both objects of devotion and records of popular belief.