Art

During the last twenty-five years the National Gallery of Victoria has built up, under the guidance of Professor A.D. Trendall, a notable collection of Greek vases, not only from mainland Greece but also from the Greek colonies of southern Italy. The collection is now presented to the public in this handbook, which is based upon an earlier work by the same author, Greek Vases in the Feltoil Collection (Melbourne, 1968), but includes the many vases acquired in recent years. The text, which takes the form of a brief history of Greek vase-painting written around the National Gallery collection, is clear and easy to read: each vase is described concisely and placed in its historical context. All vases discussed are illustrated in 16 plates placed at the end of the booklet. The quality is, for the most part, good, and photographs of the whole vase as well as details are given, a practice which allows an appreciation of the shape as well as the painting. Those who wish to know more about the individual vases will consult the extensive references in the notes. Those who wish to pursue further the study of Greek vase-painting will find a general bibliography and a short note on other collections in Australia.