Greece is the word.

My friend Jennifer recently returned from Greece where she was teaching a summer abroad program. I asked her if she learned anything about Greek art on her adventures that she didn't already know. Her response touches on a number of subjects discussed in the Aegean Art chapter. Here is her response:

So, yeah, I learned a ton about Greek art, actually, because I had to teach it to my students. I finally memorized a bunch of the architectural terminology I'd forgotten, and that helped give me a better sense of the significance of certain structures. In addition, I had the students read (and I read) this interesting little book called "The Tomb of Agamemnon" all about the layers of history at Mycenae. I knew about the Myceneans, of course, but I learned a lot about the excavation of that site and the various ideological purposes that artifacts and ruins from the site were put to by Schliemann and then Tsoumas and those who followed both of those guys. Oh, and I got a better sense of the transition in sculpture from archaic to classical and the corresponding changes in composition, gesture, posture, etc. Oh, and I learned more about the different styles of sculpture across time and geographical location (Have you looked at the figures from the Cyclades? that is, early Cycladic culture [c. 2200-1600 BCE], preceding Minoan and Mycenean dominance...Picasso and Mondrian were obviously influenced by these. I have one on my desk. They're beautiful.). And I have a broader understanding of luxury items like mosaics and heated walls and floors, and bodily adornments such as jewelry, and status items such as tripods and armor. I don't really have any better thoughts about pottery, though, which I continue to find kind of boring. I mean, except I like the pictures on the amphoras and kulixes and stuff. I wish I could go to the Walters with y'all...

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