John Boardman has updated his classic account of one of the most popular historicartistic traditions among Western audiences. In the twenty years since the last editionwas released, valuable evidence has come to light which has dramatically enhancedour understanding of the art of this ancient civilization. We now know conclusively thatGreeks in fact lavished their sculptures with realistic colour paint, and also worked with awealth of other materials on a major scale, including wood and precious metals, provingthat our view of `classic' pure white marble of the age is a Renaissance construction.We can identify the work of individual artists, and schools of artists, and have a clearerpicture than ever of how art and artistic ideas travelled throughout the Greek world. Boardman encourages the reader to consider the beautiful pieces that have beenpreserved in their original context, rather than as the isolated installations of our moderngalleries, weaving into the discussion of the art objects insights into the society thatproduced them. Illustrated in full colour throughout for the first time, this fifth editionshowcases more vividly than ever the artistic endeavours of the ancient Greeks.