Goddess, nymph, muse, or merely mortal, women never ceased to inspire Greek sculptors and painters. Far from representing an ideal beauty of young athletes with exultant bodies, these sensuous feminine models recount to us the ambiguous notions the Greeks had toward women. Showing both the fascination and repulsion, eroticism and damnation, this small work in pictures offers a synthesis of art and beauty through what is perhaps the most inspired period of all times: ancient Greece. AUTHOR Berenice Geoffrey-Schneiter is a journalist and editor as well as a professional archaeologist and art historian. She has written for a number of specialist periodicals, overseen the content of scholarly publications, and written several books on the arts and archaeology. ILLUSTRATIONS 60 illustrations.