In perusing any book devoted to Greek art, one is struck by the ancient Greeks' obsession wit... more In perusing any book devoted to Greek art, one is struck by the ancient Greeks' obsession with their gods, heroes, and mythological creatures. From the earliest extant work of figurative art produced in the so-called Dark Ages, the terracotta centaur from Lefkandi (ca. 950-900 BC), to that icon of late Hellenistic group sculpture, the marble Laocoon (ca. 30-20 BC), Greek artists and their patrons were drawn to mythological subjects not only for their intrinsic interest but also for the important roles they played in explaining the cosmos and shedding light on human nature. Although Greek artists shared this interest in mythological narrative with poets, they did not illustrate written texts; rather, they were guided by that oral culture or Volksvorstellung that was an essential part of every Greek’s upbringing. They, like all artists, were heavily influenced by the work of their predecessors, the demands of the marketplace, and the restrictions imposed by their medium. That said, Greek narrative art displays an amazing degree of imagination, ingenuity, and originality that continues to fascinate today, as it must have engaged viewers in antiquity. Numerous books, not to mention multivolume lexica, have been devoted to the subject of myth in Greek art. It would be foolhardy to attempt to encompass the entirety of this intriguing and vast topic in a single essay. Therefore, this chapter will examine two specific concerns of Greek painters and sculptors when faced with the challenge of narrating in visual, as opposed to literary, terms a specific story involving gods, heroes, or fantastic creatures. First, what devices did the artist employ for depicting a myth and how did this visual language come about? Second, how did the artist make his chosen theme relevant to a particular audience at a specific point in time?
... 8 He signed as both a painter and a potter, and on three occasions added the name of his fath... more ... 8 He signed as both a painter and a potter, and on three occasions added the name of his father ... labels the lyre player Euthymides.36 In order to determine the referent of the name, it is ... it appears: once in a mythological context, an Am-azon duel, and once in what appears to be ...
... Seeing the snakes, they were driven mad and leapt from the Akropolis to their deaths. ... As ... more ... Seeing the snakes, they were driven mad and leapt from the Akropolis to their deaths. ... As is evident from these examples spanning nearly a century, the iconographical tradition vis a vis the birth of Erichthonios is fairly consistent in Attic vase-painting. ...
Learning to use the research tools to unravel the intricate terminology of classification of anti... more Learning to use the research tools to unravel the intricate terminology of classification of antiquities is a formidable task. Van Keuren's work aims to enable students both to use these tools and to devise projects for their own research. After a major reference is presented, handbooks and monographs are successively identified in ways that suggest patterns of information. These patterns will allow students to formulate hypotheses to undertake original research. With use of the library collection, original questions can be asked and answered. The entries are presented in three parts, each representing an art form. Part One includes the most general references on Greek, Etruscan and Roman art and architecture. Part Two describes references dealing with mythology in art and literature of antiquity and post-classical times. Part Three concentrates on references that consider particular media of ancient art. Each entry is broken down into seven parts - art form, research use, organization, complementary references, handbooks, supplementary sources, and additional supplementary sources.
... oarmen's ears. What makes this representation relevant for the Corinthian perfum... more ... oarmen's ears. What makes this representation relevant for the Corinthian perfumeflask is the position of Odysseus' arms. Inexplica-bly he has two sets, one lashed to the mast, the other gesticulating in both directions. I believe ...
In perusing any book devoted to Greek art, one is struck by the ancient Greeks' obsession wit... more In perusing any book devoted to Greek art, one is struck by the ancient Greeks' obsession with their gods, heroes, and mythological creatures. From the earliest extant work of figurative art produced in the so-called Dark Ages, the terracotta centaur from Lefkandi (ca. 950-900 BC), to that icon of late Hellenistic group sculpture, the marble Laocoon (ca. 30-20 BC), Greek artists and their patrons were drawn to mythological subjects not only for their intrinsic interest but also for the important roles they played in explaining the cosmos and shedding light on human nature. Although Greek artists shared this interest in mythological narrative with poets, they did not illustrate written texts; rather, they were guided by that oral culture or Volksvorstellung that was an essential part of every Greek’s upbringing. They, like all artists, were heavily influenced by the work of their predecessors, the demands of the marketplace, and the restrictions imposed by their medium. That said, Greek narrative art displays an amazing degree of imagination, ingenuity, and originality that continues to fascinate today, as it must have engaged viewers in antiquity. Numerous books, not to mention multivolume lexica, have been devoted to the subject of myth in Greek art. It would be foolhardy to attempt to encompass the entirety of this intriguing and vast topic in a single essay. Therefore, this chapter will examine two specific concerns of Greek painters and sculptors when faced with the challenge of narrating in visual, as opposed to literary, terms a specific story involving gods, heroes, or fantastic creatures. First, what devices did the artist employ for depicting a myth and how did this visual language come about? Second, how did the artist make his chosen theme relevant to a particular audience at a specific point in time?
... 8 He signed as both a painter and a potter, and on three occasions added the name of his fath... more ... 8 He signed as both a painter and a potter, and on three occasions added the name of his father ... labels the lyre player Euthymides.36 In order to determine the referent of the name, it is ... it appears: once in a mythological context, an Am-azon duel, and once in what appears to be ...
... Seeing the snakes, they were driven mad and leapt from the Akropolis to their deaths. ... As ... more ... Seeing the snakes, they were driven mad and leapt from the Akropolis to their deaths. ... As is evident from these examples spanning nearly a century, the iconographical tradition vis a vis the birth of Erichthonios is fairly consistent in Attic vase-painting. ...
Learning to use the research tools to unravel the intricate terminology of classification of anti... more Learning to use the research tools to unravel the intricate terminology of classification of antiquities is a formidable task. Van Keuren's work aims to enable students both to use these tools and to devise projects for their own research. After a major reference is presented, handbooks and monographs are successively identified in ways that suggest patterns of information. These patterns will allow students to formulate hypotheses to undertake original research. With use of the library collection, original questions can be asked and answered. The entries are presented in three parts, each representing an art form. Part One includes the most general references on Greek, Etruscan and Roman art and architecture. Part Two describes references dealing with mythology in art and literature of antiquity and post-classical times. Part Three concentrates on references that consider particular media of ancient art. Each entry is broken down into seven parts - art form, research use, organization, complementary references, handbooks, supplementary sources, and additional supplementary sources.
... oarmen's ears. What makes this representation relevant for the Corinthian perfum... more ... oarmen's ears. What makes this representation relevant for the Corinthian perfumeflask is the position of Odysseus' arms. Inexplica-bly he has two sets, one lashed to the mast, the other gesticulating in both directions. I believe ...
... to be Roman. In brief, Roman children are generally shown with their fathers in public ritual... more ... to be Roman. In brief, Roman children are generally shown with their fathers in public rituals such as those of imperial largesse (congiarium, alimenta, liberalitas), adlocutiones, processions, games, and sacrifices. By contrast ...
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