The centaur's smile : the human animal in early Greek art / J. Michael Padgett ; with contributions by William A.P. Childs and Despoina Tsiafakis ; Nathan T. Arrington ... [et al.].

Published on the occasion of an exhibition held at Princeton University Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 2003-2004. With contributions by William A.P. Childs, Despoina Tsiafakis, et al.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 365-395) and index.

'Human animals--centaurs, satyrs, sphinxes, sirens, and Gorgons--as well as other composite beings like Pan, Triton, Acheloos, and the Minotaur, are extremely common in Greek myth, literature, theater, and the visual arts. Understanding the phenomenon of combining human and animal elements into composite creatures is central to our knowledge of the Greek imagination. This landmark book is the first to investigate representations of these human animals in early Greek art (ca. 750-450 B.C.). The Centaur's Smile discusses the Oriental antecedents of these fantastic creatures, examining the influence of Egyptian and Near Eastern models on the formation of Greek monsters in the Geometric and Archaic periods.'

Hardcover