Art of Ancient Greece

Rita Keane, Professor of Art History, Drew University

5 Tuesday afternoons, 2 pm to 4 pm. 

September 16; (skip Sep 23, Rosh Hashanah); Sep 30; October 7, 14 and 21, 2025

In this course we will survey ancient Greek art chronologically and thematically, from the cultures of the Bronze Age Aegean through Hellenistic art of the first century in Italy. We will consider topics such as the ideal, mimesis, myth, and funerary and political commemoration, in vase painting, sculpture, and architecture. We will pay special attention to works of art accessible in American museum collections, especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Rita Keane is a professor of Art History at Drew University. She has an M.A. in art history from Williams College, and a doctorate in art history from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She was honored with the coveted President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2023. 

Keane has been at Drew (and has lived in Madison) since 2008. At Drew she teaches the ancient and medieval curriculum in the Art History department, including ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, as well as medieval art and Islamic art. 

Her publications consider the lives and art collecting practices of medieval women. She leads students abroad on shortTRECs to southern France to delve into the rich history of art and culture—as well as day trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.