Throughout the exhibition, Greek, Maya, and Moche vessels will be displayed side by side, and their presentation is organized thematically. The first gallery, Makers and Users, draws attention to the people who handled these vessels, starting with the potters and painters, and then turning to the individuals who drank from them, gave them as gifts, or deposited them in tombs.
"Each vessel in this exhibition is a ‘picture world,’ full of expressive possibility,” says David Saunders, associate curator of antiquities at the Getty Villa Museum. “Seeing them together sharpens our understanding of the three ancient cultures, and—we hope—will invite new perspectives on topics such as image-making and storytelling, that continue to resonate today.”
In all three cultures, stories of epic adventures and divine deeds explained and reflected belief systems and ritual practices. Such tales were retold, shared orally, and—among the Greeks and the Maya—sometimes written down as well. Painted terracotta vessels provided these narratives with engaging visual forms, and the second section of the exhibition, Stories and Images, presents a selection of important myths, such as the Trojan War for the Greeks, episodes involving the Maize God and other Maya deities, and adventures of the Moche divinity known today as Wrinkle Face. All demonstrate the powerful role of images in traditions of storytelling.
Although they depicted different subjects in distinct visual styles, Greek, Maya, and Moche potters and painters faced a common challenge: how to convey complex stories on the curving surfaces of pottery. The final section of the exhibition, Handling Narrative, addresses the ways in which rotating or handling these vessels animated the painted narrative. In order to make this tangible, the exhibition will feature specially-commissioned replicas of three vessels on display, so that visitors can better appreciate the dynamic and immersive potential of these painted ceramics.
“We hope that visitors will connect to the stories conveyed in the imagery from these three ancient civilizations and, through them, learn more about the artists and societies who made them and how their legacies continue today,” says Megan E. O’Neil, assistant professor of art history at Emory University.
The show will travel following the close in July and be on view at the Michael E. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta from September 15 through December 14, 2024.
Picture Worlds: Greek, Maya, and Moche Pottery is co-curated by David Saunders, associate curator of antiquities at the Getty Villa Museum, and Megan E. O’Neil, assistant professor of art history at Emory University.
Accompanying the exhibition is a richly illustrated publication co-edited by Saunders and O’Neil, which provides introductions to the three civilizations and their painted pottery. Getty will also host several talks, including The Moche Culture of Ancient Peru | Los Mochicas del norte del Perú, a Spanish-language online talk on April 11 at 3pm, and Stories on Ceramics: Pictures, Politics, and Primordial Times on April 25 at 12pm.