"Religion and Art in Ancient Greece" is a comprehensive exploration of the connection between religion and art in ancient Greece. The book is organized thematically, covering various aspects of Greek religious beliefs and practices, including the role of gods and goddesses in everyday life, religious festivals, and the afterlife. Gardner examines how these beliefs and practices were reflected in the art of the period, including sculpture, painting, and architecture. He discusses the different types of religious art that were created, from small votive offerings to grand temples, and how these works were used to express and reinforce religious ideas. One of the key themes of the book is the idea of the Greek ideal, which Gardner argues was central to both religion and art in ancient Greece. He examines how the Greek ideal was represented in art, and how it was used to express ideas about the human body, the role of men and women in society, and the relationship between humans and the divine.
Ernest Arthur Gardner was an English archaeologist who was born on March 16, 1862, and died on November 27, 1939. Between 1887 and 1895, he was in charge of the British School in Athens. In 1885, Gardner joined Gonville and Caius College as a fellow. As a member of the Egypt Exploration Society, he helped dig at Naucratis in Egypt in 1885 and 1886. In 1886, he went to the British School at Athens to study under Francis Penrose. He was in charge of the school from 1887 to 1895. During his first time as director, he oversaw digs in Cyprus at Old Paphos and Salamis. In 1891, when he was given more time as director, he led an excavation in Megalopolis, Greece. After leaving the British School at Athens in 1895, he went to work at the University of London as the Yates Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology. In 1902, he gave up this job. In 1897, he took over as the editor of The Journal of Hellenic Studies. From 1905 to 1909 and again from 1913 to 1915, he was the head of the Faculty of Arts at the University of London. In 1910, he was chosen to be the university's first Public Orator.
