Greek and Roman art is typically known for its lifelike marble statues, but ancient artists also played with color, pattern, and shape in ways that feel surprisingly modern. This virtual Flash Talk introduces curator Nicola Barham’s Ancient Abstractions—a new special exhibition that looks beyond naturalism to reveal Roman art that today would be considered abstract. Bringing together works from the Kelsey Museum and other US collections, the exhibition shows that the visual world of ancient Rome was far more varied than we often imagine.

Kelsey Museum Flash Talks are 15-minute Zoom lectures by Kelsey curators, staff members, researchers, graduate students, and guests talking about their recent research or current projects. Each presentation is followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. Flash Talks are free and open to all visitors.

To register for this lecture, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/GkkLs5XJUeU7GsEB8. Zoom log-in information will be provided upon registration. Please sign up by 9:30 AM the day of the event to ensure you receive a confirmation email containing the access code.