Medieval and Ancient Funerary Art

Detailed reliefs from tombs and sarcophagi displaying historical figures and dramatic scenes, embodying artistic styles from the Romanesque to classical periods.

The Bassae Frieze comprises a series of relief marble sculptures from the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae, Greece. It was discovered in 1811 by Carl Haller and Charles Cockerell. From the style of the frieze it belongs to the High Classical period, probably carved around 400 BC.

Sancho III of Castile (1134-1158) and his courtiers. Relief from the sepulcher of his wife, Blanche of Navarre. Romanesque. 12th century. Monastery of Santa Mari´a la Real. Najera. La Rioja. Spain.

Marble relief depicting dramatic poet receiving Dionysus, from Rome

Ara Casali. Altar dedicated by Tiberius Claudius Faventinus. Scenes from the Trojan saga and the legend. Procession. 2nd C. AD. Octogonal Court. Vatican Museums.

Putti di Luca della Robbia. Unknown

The Bassae Frieze comprises a series of relief marble sculptures from the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae, Greece. It was discovered in 1811 by Carl Haller and Charles Cockerell. From the style of the frieze it belongs to the High Classical period, probably carved around 400 BC.

Greek art. Offering to Artemis Bendis. Harbor of Piraeus. Greece. 329-328 B.C. Marble. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Copenhagen. Denmark.

Relief from the Nereid Monument is a sculptured tomb from Xanthus in classical period Lycia, Turkey. It took the form of a Greek temple on top of a base decorated with sculpted friezes, and is thought to have been built in the early fourth century BC as a tomb for Arbinas, the Xanthian dynast who ruled western Lycia

Sarcophagus with representations of drunken Dionysus and Ariadne. Luni marble. 160-180 AD. Rome. Via Appia. National Roman Museum (Baths of Diocletian). Rome. Italy.

Roman Sculptor / 'Prometheus models the first man'. Ca. 185. White marble. Museum: Museo del Prado, Madrid, España. Author: TALLER ROMANO.

Greek civilization, pentelic marble frieze of Parthenon by Phidias, relief depicting seated Poseidon, Apollo and Artemis, circa 447-432 BC

Representation of Ulysses and Eurycleia. Roman art. Relief. ITALY. LAZIO. Rome. Rome Museum and Roman Art Gallery.

Italy. Rome. Ara Pacis Augustae. Altar dedicated to Pax. 13-9 BC. Foundint Rome. Aeneas sacrificing to the Penates.

Column of Trajan. 110. ITALY. Rome. Forum of Trajan. First Dorian War. First Campaign. Sarmatian cavalry. Roman art. Early Empire. Relief on rock.

Marble sarcophagus with relief depicting legend of Achilles, from Tyre, Lebanon, detail, Achilles before Patroclus' bed

Roman sarcopahgus of Titus Flavius Trophimas. Relief of dancer and a player portrayed. 2nd century AD. From Ostia. Italy. National Roman Museum. Rome. Italy.

Roman art. Sarcophagus with a marriage scene. 2nd. century. Front. Relief. Marble. The State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg. Russia.

Part of the frieze on the Parthenon, 5th century BC. Artist: Unknown

Attic sarcophagus. Pentelic marble. Found at Ayios Ioannis, Patras. The sarcophagus has saddle lid. One long and one narrow side bear a depiction of the hunt for the Calydonian boar, in which Meleager and Atlanta took part. On the other long side is a depiction of two confronted lions with a largh kantharos between them, The other narrow side has a griffin pulling down an ox. From an attic workshop AD 150-170.

Front panel the sarcophagus with biblical scenes. Carved in a Roman workshop, 4th c. AD. Abraham's sacrifice. Frederic Mares Museum. Barcelona, Spain.

Roman sarcophagus depicting a carts race in the circus. Detail. End of the Antonine Era. Unknown artist. Marble. National Gallery. Oslo. Norway.

Imperial Roman era. Basin of sculpture of a river god Arno. Sarcophagus. 170-180 AD. Decorated with scenes of battles between Greeks and Amazons. Relief. Vatican Museums.

The Bassae Frieze comprises a series of relief marble sculptures from the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae, Greece. It was discovered in 1811 by Carl Haller and Charles Cockerell. From the style of the frieze it belongs to the High Classical period, probably carved around 400 BC.

Dionysus courtship. Roman relief. Ludovisi Collection. National Roman Museum. Palazzo Altemps. Rome. Italy.

Greek funerary stele carved in marble. The deceased, wearing himation, holds the hand with a bird. Before her, a young slave or servant. Barcelona. Spain 2013

Detail from the Nereid Monument, a sculptured tomb from Xanthos in classical period Lycia. Dated 4th Century BC

Marble plate with representation of the Emperor Caracalla and his mother Julia Domna.. warsztat rzymski prowincjonalny (212-214 n.e.), workshop

SEPULCRO ROMANO DE HUSILLAS (PALENCIA) - LA MUERTE DE AGAMENON. Location: MUSEO ARQUEOLOGICO NACIONAL-COLECCION. MADRID. SPAIN.

Museum in Ephesus, Titans, Turkey, Asia

Marble sarcophagus known as Amendola sarcophagus with battle scenes between Romans and Barbarians

Italy. Rome. Ara Pacis Augustae. Altar dedicated to Pax. 13-9 BC. Processional frieze. Agrippa and family group. Officers of the State, Agrippa, the child Gaius and the woman, Livia (Augustus' wife). Agrippa portrayed his toga covering his heas with scroll.

Sarcophagus. Cupids making and carrying weapons. Marble. 2nd C. AD. Antonine Age. National Roman Museum. Baths of Diocletian. Rome. Italy.

Sarcophagus with Dionysian procession and drunken Dionysus 160-180 AD. Rome. Italy.

Relief representing a Dionysiac initation scene. Marble. Copy afther a Hellenistic original of the 2nd C. BC. From Horsi Maecenatiani. Capitoline Museums. Rome. Italy.

Bas-reliefs trouvés à Mantinée en trois plaques , Antiquities, Bas-reliefs, Goddesses, Muses Greek deities. Nicholas Catsimpoolas Collection

Relief depicting the figures of Chinese philosopher Confucius, Octavian and the muse of History. Octavian known as Augustus (63 BC 14 AD) was the founder of the Roman Empire and its first Emperor, ruling from 27 BC until his death. US Supreme Court, Washington DC. USA.

Sarcophagus of the Oresteia. 2nd century. Servant protecting himself from the wrath of Orestes. Detail. Husillos. Spain. National Archaeological Museum, Madrid. Spain.

Frieze of the Parthenon dated 432 BC

Greek civilization, marble relief of treaty between Athens and Samos depicting Athena and Hera, circa 403 BC

APOLLODORUS OF DAMASCUS (60-129). Column of Trajan. 110. ITALY. Rome. Forum of Trajan. First Dacian War. I Campaign. Legionnaire driving a Dacian prisoner for interrogation before Trajan. Roman art. Early Empire. Relief on marble.

Muse Sarcophagus. 3rd-4th centuries. Marble. Decorated with reliefs depicting the muses of theatre and music, on either side of a central male figure and funerary geniuses at both ends. Detail of the right-hand side: funerary genius, Erato, Calliope, Thalia, Euterpe and Polyhymnia. Valado dos Frades, Alfeizeriao (Alcobaça, Portugal). Carmo Archaeological Museum. Lisbon, Portugal.

Lazio Roma Frascati Villa Borghese8. Hutzel, Max 1960-1990 Exterior views of 17th c. villa, ninfeo and fountain. Interior views of salons, dining room, bedroom, and frescoes, paintings and busts decorating them. Antiquities: Villa houses an Antiquities gallery, which contains sarcophagi, busts, masks, friezes, and a series of statues of Roman kings. German-born photographer and scholar Max Hutzel (1911-1988) photographed in Italy from the early 1960s until his death. The result of this project, referred to by Hutzel as Foto Arte Minore, is thorough documentation of art historical development in Italy up to the 18th century, including objects of the Etruscans and the Romans, as well as early Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. Images are organized by geographic region in Italy, then by province, city, site complex and monument.

Altar. Relief. 42-43 AD. Imperial Family. Julio-Claudian. Relief of emperor Augustus as Mars. Ravenna. Italy.

Honorary decree. The text of the decree does not survive. The depiction shows that the honoree was a victor in equestrian contests. 350-340 BC. Acropolis Museum. Athens. Greece.

Gallo-Roman Endymion sarcophagus. Endymion sleeping, detail from a scene with the legend of Endymion and Selene. Panel of a marble sarcophagus, early 3rd century AD. Found in 1806 at Saint-Médard d'Eyrans, France

Musée National d'Athènes, 2735, relief votif de Xenocrateia , Bas-reliefs, Antiquities, Gods, Goddesses, Votive offerings. Nicholas Catsimpoolas Collection

Front Panel from a Sarcophagus. Unknown

Roman civilization, relief from Asiatic sarcophagus depicting poet standing between two muses, from Terme di Diocleziano (Baths of Diocletian)

Fragmento de la portalada románica de Sant Pere de Vic, siglo XII. Museo de Arte Medieval de Vic.

In the centre of the scene is the herald who raises his right arm to announce the start of the procession. In his left hand he holds a caduceus or salpinx (trumpet), a metal object that was attached to holes in the marble. To the left, a horseman stands by his horse and to the right is a groom with his master's himation (cloak) over his shoulder. The unbridled horse with its long carefully tended mane lowers its head to rub its muzzle against its front leg, in a scene that is new in ancient Greek art.

Detail from the Nereid Monument, a sculptured tomb from Xanthos in classical period Lycia. Dated 4th Century BC

Roman relief depicting a Maenad (dancer), 1st Century AD; Barcelona; Spain

Madrid, M.A.N. Arte romano. Sarcófago de Orestes. Husillos, Valencia. La venganza de Orestes por la muerte de su padre Agamenón, asesinado. En una conjura de su mujer Klytemnestra, madre del héroe.

Greek art. The Amazon Frieze: battle between Greeks and Amazones (detail). Frieze of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassos. 350 BC. Marble. London, British Museum. Author: ESCOPAS (420-350 AC). Location: BRITISH MUSEUM. LONDON. ENGLAND.

Attic votive stele with inscriptions. Relief depicting a scene from the workshop of a cobbler. Dedicated to the hero Kallistephanos by the cobbler Dionysios and his children. 4th century BC. Museum of the Ancient Agora. Athens, Greece.

Arcadia. Artist: Thomas Eakins, American, 1844-1916

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Tomb of Mausolus. Turkey. Amazon frieze. 350 BC. British Museum. London.

four men (20-23) lean in a relaxed fashion on their staves in front of four divinities (24-27) seated on stools. Like the two men on the preceding block III, they are usually identified as the eponymous heroes, founders of the attic tribes

APOLLODORUS OF DAMASCUS (60-129). Column of Trajan. 110. ITALY. Rome. Forum of Trajan. First Dacian War. I Campaign. Roman auxiliary with the head of a Dacian gripped in his mouth by the hair. Roman art. Early Empire. Relief on marble.

Italy. Rome. Ara Pacis Augustae. Altar dedicated to Pax. 13-9 BC. Processional frieze. Member of a college with priestly duties.

867, frieze of the Parthenon, sacrificial bulls. A. M. Athens , Friezes Ornamental bands, Bas-reliefs, Antiquities, Bulls, Parthenon Athens, Greece. Nicholas Catsimpoolas Collection

Greek Art. Classical Era. Grave stele dedicated to Philokles and his son Dikaios. A bearded man offers a bird to a young boy standing befor him. Ca. 430 B.C. Marble. It comes from Chalandri, Attica. National Archaeological Museum Athens. Greece.

Marble sarcophagus with relief depicting legend of Triptolemus, detail of peasants loading wheat on horses

Amazonas attacked by Amazonas taps attacked by taps, 1st century BC, clay with remains of Polychromia, Italy, Campana Copyright Collection: Xzoononar.com/tolox 23018315

Relief portraying market scene with vendor and customer

In the left section of the scene, Poseidon holding a trident and Apollo holding a laurel branch with the other. beside them sit two sister divinities, Artemis and Aphrodite. Parthenon Frieze Athens

Fragment of a Grave Stele of a Man and his Wife; Asia Minor; about 125 B.C; Marble; 51 × 44.3 × 9.7 cm (20 1,16 × 17 7,16 × 3 13,16 in.)

relief with the annunciation and coronation of Mary, XII century, cloister of Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos province, Spain.

Roman sarcophagus. Mtyth of Theseus and Ariadne. Marble. Hadrianic or Early Antonine period, 130-140 AD. Ariadne abandoned on the island of Naxos. Museum Metropolitan of Art. Ny. USA.

Votive relief with dedication to Apollo. Attic original from the first half of the 4th century B.C. Pentelic marble. From Attica. Barracco Museum of Antique Sculpture. Rome. Italy.

Sarcophagus depicting the myth of Phaedra and Hippolytus, 180 ca., Monumental Cemetery of Pisa (UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1987), Tuscany, Italy, Roman civilization, 2nd century. Detail.

Demeter, Ancient Greek goddess of corn and harvest equivalent to Ceres in the Roman pantheon, presenting corn to Triptolemus. In Greek mythology Triptolemus, hero and demi-god was taught the arts of agriculture by the goddess. Carved relief .

Apotheosis of Caesar, 161 AD. Roman relief.

Early Christian. Roman sarcophagus. 4th c. Detail. Feeding the multitude. Miracle. Vatican Museums. Vatican City State.

Marble front of a child's columnar sarcophagus with the Seasons. Culture: Roman. Dimensions: H. 16 3/4 in. (42.6 cm)length 45 1/2 in. (115.6 cm)depth 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm). Date: A.D. 290-300.Front of child's sarcophagus with columns and tomb portals depicting the Four Seasons. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Hermes God of the River Artist Unknown Istanbul, Turkey

Gigantomachy, detail of north side of frieze of Siphnian Treasury

Dancing ménade Dancing ménade, I before Christ, clay with polychrome remains, Italy, Campana collection Copyright: xZoonar.com/Tolox 23018419

Marble grave relief with a funeray banquet and departing warriors. Greek, Hellenistic period, 2n c. BC.

Cast of Trajan's Column, Detail of soldiers harvesting wheat in Dacia

India, Uttar Pradesh, Sarnath, Gryphon with two warriors, Gupta period

Etruscan civilization, polychrome urn with lid depicting deceased, inscription and scene of duel with hero fighting with plow

The Bassae Frieze comprises a series of relief marble sculptures from the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae, Greece. It was discovered in 1811 by Carl Haller and Charles Cockerell. From the style of the frieze it belongs to the High Classical period, probably carved around 400 BC.

Achilles about to kill Hector, Pallas Athena between them. Artist: Giovanni Maria Benzoni (Italian, Songavazzo, near Clusone (Lombardy) 1809-1873 Rome). Culture: Italian, Rome. Dimensions: Pedestal, 33-1/4 x 33 in. (84.5 x 83.8 cm); L. 46 in. (116.8 cm.). Date: 19th century.One of four panels (99.9c-f) that originally decorated the sides of the marble pedestal of 99.9a, b, Hector and Andromache. This relief, the first relief of the sequence, derives from Homer's Iliad XXII, 305-65. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Roman sarcophagus with the contest between The Muses and the Sirens. Severan period. 3rd C. AD. Athenas, Zeus and Hera, preside the musical. Detaill Muse.

Neo-Attic relief of the Muse Citharide. Artist: Unknown

Pergamon Altar. Built by order of Eumenes II Soter. 164-156 BC. Marble and limestone. Gigantomachy. South frieze. The Titan Phoebe with a torch fighting against a winged giant and her daughter Asteria fighting with a sword and a dog. Pergamon Museum. Berlin. Germany.

Marble grave stele with a family group. Greek. Attic. ca 360 aC. Metropolitan Museum of Art. NY. USA.

Roman Relief of Saturn. Artist: Unknown.

Romanesque bas_relief of the Flight into Egypt, capital of Saint_Lazare Cathedral, Autun, Saone et Loire, Burgundy, France, Europe

Marbel grave stele of a young woman. Greek. Attic, ca. 400-390 B.C. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ny. USA.

Roman British relief- battle between Romans and Barbarians, 2nd cent. AD.

PUTEAL O BROCAL DE UN POZO ROMANO CON ZEUS Y VULCANO - NACIMIENTO DE ATENEA - COPIA ROMANA DE MARMOL SIGLO II. Location: MUSEO ARQUEOLOGICO NACIONAL-COLECCION. MADRID. SPAIN. Jupiter. VULCANO. ATENEA PARTHENOS.

Early Classical. Late Archaic. Satyr hunting wils animals. Panther. From the animal frieze that used to run around the top of the podium suporting Building G. Acropolis Xanthos. Lycia. Turkey. Made during the reigh of King Kuprlli (480-440BC). British Museum. London. England. United Kingdom.

Pergamon Altar. Built by order of Eumenes II Soter. 164-156 BC by artists of the school of Pergamon. Marble and limestone. East frieze. Gigantomachy. Struggle between gods and giants. Athena taking the young Alcyoneus by the hair while his mother, Gaia, leaves the ground due to the death of his son. Next, the winged Nike. Pergamon Museum. Berlin. Germany.

Abruzzo L'Aquila Trasacco SS. Rufino e Cesidio60. Hutzel, Max 1960-1990 The original monument was destroyed in 936, rebuilt, modified throughout the 16th century (with an addition to the nave in 1618), and restored in 1969. Exterior views include the bell tower and general building facades. Most views focus on the architectural sculpture of the Portale delle Donne and the Portale degli Uomini. Interior views in the Medieval core collection focus on a statue of St. Catherine in an aedicule (15th century); an ambo lecturn (pluteus) decorated with the four symbols of the Evangelists (c. 1267); a statue of the Virgin and Child under a sculpted baldachin on the entrance wall of the oratory (14th century) and the main altar composed of sarcophagus fragments of lions and peacocks in low-relief (8th-10th centuries). A baptismal font and possibly bas-reliefs (immured spolia) in the Oratory. Interior views in the Hutzel collection include: the altar statue of S. Cesidio, frescoes of the Annuncia

Roman sarcophagus. Detail of relief. Farming sheep. Milking. Capitoline Museums. Rome. Italy.

LA DANZA - 1867/69 - ROMANTICISMO FRANCES. Author: JEAN BAPTISTE CARPEAUX (1827-1875). Location: MUSEO DE LA OPERA. France.

Male figures in a niche, relief on a trough sarcophagus, 220-250, Monumental Cemetery of Pisa (UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1987), Tuscany, Italy, Roman civilization, 3rd century.

Marble relief of a reclining figure, Archaeological Museum, Piraeus, Greece.

Sculpted panel with allegorical figures

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