Archaeologist Furio Durando tells the story of the culture, civilization and art of ancient Greece, tracing the course of Greek art and architecture from the abstract purity of the Cycladic idols to the perfection of the Classical era, through the mannerism of the Hellenistic period. Extensively illustrated with color photographs of Greek ruins, reconstructions of significant architectural monuments in their original settings, and artifacts and sculptures, the volume concludes with an archaeological tour of significant sites throughout Greece, Asia Minor, and Magna Graecia.
The photographs reproduced in the book are spectacular; the graphic layout and the (few) illustrations are very attractive. The photographs of Greek goldsmithing are truly extraordinary, for their variety, quality, and their highly successful inclusion of details. No less extraordinary is the quality of the sculpture photography, with its meticulous and imaginative lighting work that deserves special mention.
"Geometric" art was born as a reflection of a new mentality and a new human attitude toward nature, no longer seen as a universe to be represented, but as an infinite and complex reality from which to recognize the essence and internal organizing laws, without being attracted by the variety of its apparent circumstantial and constantly changing forms.
I recommend browsing the images with delight and care, reading their descriptions, and not being intimidated by the pedantry of some of the text.