Pliny's Catalogue of Culture

the long version

"This book reveals how Pliny's presentation of Greek art is profoundly Roman; and that beyond his account of Greek sculpture and painting, Pliny stands as an equally important source on Roman art - whether in his discussion of Roman portraiture or early imperial monuments." "The author argues that Pliny's art history can only be properly understood when viewed within the wider context of the work as a whole. From this perspective the chapters on art cease to become an isolated collection of facts on the art and artists of the Ancient World, and emerge instead as an essential part of Pliny's sophisticated project to transform his encyclopaedic account of the world into a catalogue of Roman world empire."--Jacket.