The Palmyra Portrait Project

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Situated between the two mighty empires of Rome and Parthia, halfway between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean Sea, Palmyra’s special role and character have long been recognised. Palmyra’s languages, society and religion, its art and architecture speak of a rich and varied heritage, a unique synthesis of East and West that continues to fascinate and inspire scholarly research. The art of Palmyra, however, has received remarkably little in-depth research, despite its appeal and familiarity. Most Classicists will have glimpsed in the general literature images of wide-eyed Palmyran gods or citizens lined up in stiff postures, looking back at the viewer; but despite the familiarity of this kind of sculpture, academic ground work is still lacking. This is especially true of the English-speaking world, where the excellent handbook The Art of Palmyra by M.A.R. Colledge 3 remains the only work of its kind.

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Syria

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Syria