About Reading Art

Written by classicist, educator, and writer Mary Anastasi, Reading Art offers thoughtful discussions of topics from classical antiquity and its many echoes and afterlives in later eras. This newsletter offers close readings of ancient art, material culture, literature, and historical artifacts, blending research and analysis with emotion and curiosity. Reading Art takes its name from the belief that we can "read" art like a narrative, and from the idea that works of literature are also works of art. When we combine personal perspective with a critical eye, we can see the ancient past in a whole new light and be our own guides toward an experience of the sublime.

About Mary

Mary is a researcher, educator, and writer based in Los Angeles, California. She completed her PhD in Classics at UCLA and is currently a Research Assistant at the Getty Research Institute. Mary works on a variety of topics ranging from philosophy, intellectual culture, and art history to cultural heritage stewardship and repatriation. She has taught courses in ancient mythology, classical civilization, and Ancient Greek. Some of Mary’s happiest hours are spent in a special collections reading room, discovering the many intrigues of the past through manuscripts, letters, art, and photographs.

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