"Cypriot Art from the Collection of Classical Antiquities"
1999-11-23 until 2000-01-23
Art History Museum
Vienna, , AT Austria

Throughout the centuries both the history and culture of Cyprus have been formed by its location at the crossroads of cultural exchange between Europe, Asia and Africa. Antiquities excavated on Cyprus bear witness to a culture influenced from abroad, due to its geographic location between the great cultures of the ancient world, but which developed from these influences its own unique tradition. Though less well known than the art of Ancient Greece and Rome, it has a charm all its own.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum’s collection of Cypriot art contains over 700 objects dating from the early Bronze Age to the Roman Empire, it is thus one of the largest and most important in Europe. Its two best known masterpieces are: the Amazonian Sarcophagus from Soloi, and the Artemis from Larnaca. The Amazonian Sarcophagus was discovered in the 16th century, and records show it to have been in Vienna since the early 17th century. But the main stock of the Cypriot collection – limestone sculptures, ceramics, terracottas – was assembled during the last third of the 19th century when objects from the collections of Luigi Palma di Cesnola, Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, and Georg von Millosicz were acquired. In conjunction with the presentation of the newly published catalogue The Collection of Cypriot Art in the Kunsthistorisches Museum”, the exhibition Cypriot Art from the Collection of Classical Antiquities” will be on show in the Museum’s Special Exhibition Hall from November 23, 1999 until January 23, 2000, and will feature a selection from this important but little-known stock.

The catalogue contains numerous photographs and offers a survey of the fascinating history of Cypriot archaeology during the 19th and 20th century, as well as introductory essays and detailed descriptions of the most important Cypriot objects in the Collection of Classical Antiquities of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. This new publication in English and German is intended for an international audience and aims to present the beauty and uniqueness of Cypriot art.

Related Links:

Call for Entries: 1st Bienalle of Arts in Cyprus

Indepth Arts Resources for Austria

Other Important Exhibitions in Vienna