Numerous literary sources attest to how beloved ancient Greek painting was in its time. Of all the masterpieces mentioned, nothing has survived. However, various archaeological findings, countless anecdotes about Greek painters, and the admiration expressed during Roman imperial times do not completely dispel our hopes of forming an image of ancient Greek painting.

We could therefore liken the multitude of lost masterpieces to a extinguished fixed star, whose glow reaches us only through the light it once emitted in the distant past.

Ingeborg Seibler gathers and processes the information provided by various sources. Thus, she investigates ancient Greek painting from various perspectives, illuminating the influence exerted by its greatest works, the thematic message, and the original significance of the paintings in their surroundings, as well as their appearance, style, colors, expressive means, and changes in the function and content of the representations.

Her book reveals the value, high quality, and timeless enchantment of an art lost in the flow of historical time.