In the richest collection of the State Hermitage we may find answers to many questions. Even to such as these: how did people of ancient civilizations imagine the sea? How did they express in myths and artworks their awe of the profound? What invariably attracts artists in it? The story how miracles could get along with practical considerations in the minds of ancient Greeks and Romans is told in the works of sculpture, jewellery and coins. Desire to achieve material success preserving at the same time one's moral bearings is expressed in the paintings that belong to the golden age of Holland. The art of the 19th 20th centuries eloquently shows the erasing of border between reality and creative insight. The album includes more than 250 illustrations with brief commentaries.