Art Review: ‘Assyria to Iberia,’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Holland Cotter

NEW YORK---What are we losing? News reports tell us that the terrorist group referred to as the Islamic State is not only destroying architectural monuments in Syria and Iraq, but is also doing brisk business selling looted antiquities abroad. [The] Met show is basically a story of multiple destructions, a fatalistic narrative sugarcoated with fabulous art. Seen from another angle — and neither view is true without the other — it’s primarily a tale of absolutely stunning human invention, invention inspired by reasons good and bad, but stunning either way. And for certain it’s a story — a reminder — of what museums are for. [link]

“Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn of the Classical Age” opens Monday and remains on view through Jan. 4 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org