A Passion for Antiquities: Ancient Art from the Collection of Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman

The collection of Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman of New
York is one of the most important private collections of ancient Greek and
Roman art in the United States and among the most important in the world.
Composed of approximately three hundred objects from the Bronze Age to the Late
Antique, it includes bronze statuettes, marble sculpture, vases, jewelry, lamps
and candelabra, keys, weights, and silver bowls and utensils.

            The
Fleischmans have a particular fascination with pieces associated with everyday
life in antiquity, since these objects evoke a human connection to the past.
They are also drawn to pieces that exemplify the human propensity to transform
a functional object into a thing of beauty. Not only has their emotional
response to an object’s aesthetic appeal or its historical significance guided
them in their forty years of collecting, personal interests have been at work
as well. The large number of pieces related to the theater or representing
theatrical subjects reflects Barbara Fleischman’s lifelong love of that art.

             A
Passion for Antiquities contains photographs and extensive catalogue
entries on the objects included in the exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum
and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Eighteen contributors provide art historical
and descriptive information about each piece. The objects not selected for the
exhibition are detailed in a checklist that specifies their origins, dates,
media, and sizes.

            This book
is the first major reference on the entire collection, since most of the
objects have never before been publicly shown. To facilitate finding specific
objects or groups of objects, the book is organized first chronologically and
then by medium. Bibliographic sources for each entry cite both publications
where the specific work is discussed as well as references to related
scholarship. Karol Wight provides a chronological overview of the collection,
and Oliver Taplin relates selected pieces to the development of Greek theater.

            The
exhibition of Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman’s collection and this catalogue
allow us to enter into their minds and emotions so that, for a time, we can share
their passion for antiquities.