Daniel Moore
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197266755
- eISBN:
- 9780191916038
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266755.001.0001
- Subject:
- Art, Art History
Insane Acquaintances charts the varied encounters between artistic modernism and the British public in the years between ‘Manet and the Post-Impressionists’ (1910) and the Festival of Britain (1951). ...
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Insane Acquaintances charts the varied encounters between artistic modernism and the British public in the years between ‘Manet and the Post-Impressionists’ (1910) and the Festival of Britain (1951). Through a range of case studies which explore the work of the ‘mediators’ of modernism in Britain – those individuals, groups and organisations which facilitated the introduction of modernist art and design to public audiences during the first part of the twentieth century – Insane Acquaintances explores the social, political and cultural impact of visual modernism over the course of four decades. Focusing on the efforts to legitimise, explain and make authentic the abstract (and often continental) modernist aesthetics that shaped British artistic culture during the years 1910-1951, this study charts the changing taste of the nation, through chapters on Postimpressionist art and crafts, modernist art in schools, the home design and decoration, Surrealism and revolution and the post-War institutionalisation and funding of the arts.Less
Insane Acquaintances charts the varied encounters between artistic modernism and the British public in the years between ‘Manet and the Post-Impressionists’ (1910) and the Festival of Britain (1951). Through a range of case studies which explore the work of the ‘mediators’ of modernism in Britain – those individuals, groups and organisations which facilitated the introduction of modernist art and design to public audiences during the first part of the twentieth century – Insane Acquaintances explores the social, political and cultural impact of visual modernism over the course of four decades. Focusing on the efforts to legitimise, explain and make authentic the abstract (and often continental) modernist aesthetics that shaped British artistic culture during the years 1910-1951, this study charts the changing taste of the nation, through chapters on Postimpressionist art and crafts, modernist art in schools, the home design and decoration, Surrealism and revolution and the post-War institutionalisation and funding of the arts.
Eleni Schindler Kaudelka and Ulrike Fastner
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197262962
- eISBN:
- 9780191734533
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197262962.003.0013
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
This chapter presents a draft of a long-standing interdisciplinary project involving photogrammetry and archaeology, in which both sides tried to eliminate the gap between their disciplines. This is ...
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This chapter presents a draft of a long-standing interdisciplinary project involving photogrammetry and archaeology, in which both sides tried to eliminate the gap between their disciplines. This is the Applikensigillata project which aimed to determine appliqué decorations in Italian terra sigillata. The cooperation of the different disciplines resulted in a substantial extension of the timetable. Although the project was relatively time consuming, it nevertheless provided results that were instrumental to archaeology. The project Italian terra sigillata of Noricum produced archaeological results. It produced correct drawings of the appliqué decorations through photogrammetry; it yielded a general catalogue; it opened a new field of results reflecting quality in both shapes and decorations; it debunked the old-myth of the carter-like organisation of Roman; and it eliminated surviving old catalogues based on the observation of a single piece.Less
This chapter presents a draft of a long-standing interdisciplinary project involving photogrammetry and archaeology, in which both sides tried to eliminate the gap between their disciplines. This is the Applikensigillata project which aimed to determine appliqué decorations in Italian terra sigillata. The cooperation of the different disciplines resulted in a substantial extension of the timetable. Although the project was relatively time consuming, it nevertheless provided results that were instrumental to archaeology. The project Italian terra sigillata of Noricum produced archaeological results. It produced correct drawings of the appliqué decorations through photogrammetry; it yielded a general catalogue; it opened a new field of results reflecting quality in both shapes and decorations; it debunked the old-myth of the carter-like organisation of Roman; and it eliminated surviving old catalogues based on the observation of a single piece.
Martin Beckmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834619
- eISBN:
- 9781469603025
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877777_beckmann
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
One of the most important monuments of Imperial Rome and at the same time one of the most poorly understood, the Column of Marcus Aurelius has long stood in the shadow of the Column of Trajan. This ...
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One of the most important monuments of Imperial Rome and at the same time one of the most poorly understood, the Column of Marcus Aurelius has long stood in the shadow of the Column of Trajan. This book makes a thorough study of the form, content, and meaning of this infrequently studied monument. The author employs a new approach to the column, one that focuses on the process of its creation and construction, to uncover the cultural significance of the column to the Romans of the late second century ad. Using clues from ancient sources and from the monument itself, this book traces the creative process step by step from the first decision to build the monument through the processes of planning and construction to the final carving of the column's relief decoration. The conclusions challenge many of the widely held assumptions about the value of the column's 700-foot-long frieze as a historical source. By reconstructing the creative process of the column's sculpture, the author opens up numerous new paths of analysis not only to the Column of Marcus Aurelius but also to Roman imperial art and architecture in general.Less
One of the most important monuments of Imperial Rome and at the same time one of the most poorly understood, the Column of Marcus Aurelius has long stood in the shadow of the Column of Trajan. This book makes a thorough study of the form, content, and meaning of this infrequently studied monument. The author employs a new approach to the column, one that focuses on the process of its creation and construction, to uncover the cultural significance of the column to the Romans of the late second century ad. Using clues from ancient sources and from the monument itself, this book traces the creative process step by step from the first decision to build the monument through the processes of planning and construction to the final carving of the column's relief decoration. The conclusions challenge many of the widely held assumptions about the value of the column's 700-foot-long frieze as a historical source. By reconstructing the creative process of the column's sculpture, the author opens up numerous new paths of analysis not only to the Column of Marcus Aurelius but also to Roman imperial art and architecture in general.
S.C. Dube
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198077312
- eISBN:
- 9780199081158
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077312.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
This chapter introduces the Kamars, an aboriginal tribe located in the south-eastern districts of the Central Province of India. The chapter first describes the location of the Kamars; the habitat, ...
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This chapter introduces the Kamars, an aboriginal tribe located in the south-eastern districts of the Central Province of India. The chapter first describes the location of the Kamars; the habitat, the geographical formations (waterfalls, hills, etc.), the climate, and the population. It then reviews some of the previous ethnographic accounts and research that were conducted on the Kamars, and reveals that the name ‘Kamar’ corresponds to three or four different aboriginal and semi-aboriginal tribes that are distributed over different locations. It also notes that no anthropometric work has been conducted among the Kamars of Chhattisgarh, who are the focus of this study. Finally, the chapter describes the physical appearance, dress, and decoration of the Kamars.Less
This chapter introduces the Kamars, an aboriginal tribe located in the south-eastern districts of the Central Province of India. The chapter first describes the location of the Kamars; the habitat, the geographical formations (waterfalls, hills, etc.), the climate, and the population. It then reviews some of the previous ethnographic accounts and research that were conducted on the Kamars, and reveals that the name ‘Kamar’ corresponds to three or four different aboriginal and semi-aboriginal tribes that are distributed over different locations. It also notes that no anthropometric work has been conducted among the Kamars of Chhattisgarh, who are the focus of this study. Finally, the chapter describes the physical appearance, dress, and decoration of the Kamars.
Simon Price
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199572069
- eISBN:
- 9780191738739
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199572069.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The relationship between memory and history is a productive zone in which the self-understanding of past peoples was formed. This chapter studies four contexts in which memories were constructed in ...
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The relationship between memory and history is a productive zone in which the self-understanding of past peoples was formed. This chapter studies four contexts in which memories were constructed in ancient Greece: objects and representations, places, ritual behaviour and associated myths, and textual narratives. Underlying all four is a longstanding Greek desire to link the present to the remote past. Objects, monuments, and temple decorations, for example, were of high significance for this task. Place, location, and close physical proximity to signifiers of the past established the necessary links. Thirdly, local versions of myths became a standard way of raising the profile of places small and large. Finally, textual narratives offer themselves as the framework for and articulation of memories of the past, and here genealogies in the widest sense, from Hesiod's Theogony to the Parian Chronicle, are shown to provide telling material.Less
The relationship between memory and history is a productive zone in which the self-understanding of past peoples was formed. This chapter studies four contexts in which memories were constructed in ancient Greece: objects and representations, places, ritual behaviour and associated myths, and textual narratives. Underlying all four is a longstanding Greek desire to link the present to the remote past. Objects, monuments, and temple decorations, for example, were of high significance for this task. Place, location, and close physical proximity to signifiers of the past established the necessary links. Thirdly, local versions of myths became a standard way of raising the profile of places small and large. Finally, textual narratives offer themselves as the framework for and articulation of memories of the past, and here genealogies in the widest sense, from Hesiod's Theogony to the Parian Chronicle, are shown to provide telling material.
Anca I. Lasc
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781526113382
- eISBN:
- 9781526138781
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781526113382.001.0001
- Subject:
- Art, Art History
This book analyzes the early stages of the interior design profession as articulated within the circles involved in the decoration of the private home in the second half of nineteenth-century France. ...
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This book analyzes the early stages of the interior design profession as articulated within the circles involved in the decoration of the private home in the second half of nineteenth-century France. It argues that the increased presence of the modern, domestic interior in the visual culture of the nineteenth century enabled the profession to take shape. Upholsterers, cabinet-makers, architects, stage designers, department stores, taste advisors, collectors, and illustrators, came together to “sell” the idea of the unified interior as an image and a total work of art. The ideal domestic interior took several media as its outlet, including taste manuals, pattern books, illustrated magazines, art and architectural exhibitions, and department store catalogs. The chapters outline the terms of reception within which the work of each professional group involved in the appearance and design of the nineteenth-century French domestic interior emerged and focus on specific works by members of each group. If Chapter 1 concentrates on collectors and taste advisors, outlining the new definitions of the modern interior they developed, Chapter 2 focuses on the response of upholsterers, architects, and cabinet-makers to the same new conceptions of the ideal private interior. Chapter 3 considers the contribution of the world of entertainment to the field of interior design while Chapter 4 moves into the world of commerce to study how department stores popularized the modern interior with the middle classes. Chapter 5 returns to architects to understand how their engagement with popular journals shaped new interior decorating styles.Less
This book analyzes the early stages of the interior design profession as articulated within the circles involved in the decoration of the private home in the second half of nineteenth-century France. It argues that the increased presence of the modern, domestic interior in the visual culture of the nineteenth century enabled the profession to take shape. Upholsterers, cabinet-makers, architects, stage designers, department stores, taste advisors, collectors, and illustrators, came together to “sell” the idea of the unified interior as an image and a total work of art. The ideal domestic interior took several media as its outlet, including taste manuals, pattern books, illustrated magazines, art and architectural exhibitions, and department store catalogs. The chapters outline the terms of reception within which the work of each professional group involved in the appearance and design of the nineteenth-century French domestic interior emerged and focus on specific works by members of each group. If Chapter 1 concentrates on collectors and taste advisors, outlining the new definitions of the modern interior they developed, Chapter 2 focuses on the response of upholsterers, architects, and cabinet-makers to the same new conceptions of the ideal private interior. Chapter 3 considers the contribution of the world of entertainment to the field of interior design while Chapter 4 moves into the world of commerce to study how department stores popularized the modern interior with the middle classes. Chapter 5 returns to architects to understand how their engagement with popular journals shaped new interior decorating styles.
Conor Lucey
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781526119940
- eISBN:
- 9781526138699
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781526119940.001.0001
- Subject:
- Art, Art History
This book advances an innovative look at a well known, if arguably often misunderstood, historic building typology: the eighteenth-century brick terraced (or row) house. Created for the upper tier of ...
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This book advances an innovative look at a well known, if arguably often misunderstood, historic building typology: the eighteenth-century brick terraced (or row) house. Created for the upper tier of the social spectrum, these houses were largely designed and built by what is customarily regarded as the lower tier of the architectural hierarchy; that is, by artisan communities of bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers and related tradesmen. From London and Dublin to Boston and Philadelphia, these houses collectively formed the streets and squares that became the links and pivots of ‘enlightened’ city plans, and remain central to their respective historic and cultural identities. But while the scenographic quality of Bath and the stuccoed interiors of Dublin have long enjoyed critical approbation, the ‘typical’ house is understood less in terms of design and more in terms of production: consequently, historians have emphasized the commercial motivations of this artisan class at the expense of how they satisfied the demands of an elite, and taste-conscious, real estate market. Drawing on extensive primary source material, from property deeds and architectural drawings to trade cards and newspaper advertising, this book rehabilitates the status of the house builder by examining his negotiation of both the manual and intellectual dimensions of the building process. For the first time, Building Reputations considers the artisan as both a figure of building production and an agent of architectural taste.Less
This book advances an innovative look at a well known, if arguably often misunderstood, historic building typology: the eighteenth-century brick terraced (or row) house. Created for the upper tier of the social spectrum, these houses were largely designed and built by what is customarily regarded as the lower tier of the architectural hierarchy; that is, by artisan communities of bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers and related tradesmen. From London and Dublin to Boston and Philadelphia, these houses collectively formed the streets and squares that became the links and pivots of ‘enlightened’ city plans, and remain central to their respective historic and cultural identities. But while the scenographic quality of Bath and the stuccoed interiors of Dublin have long enjoyed critical approbation, the ‘typical’ house is understood less in terms of design and more in terms of production: consequently, historians have emphasized the commercial motivations of this artisan class at the expense of how they satisfied the demands of an elite, and taste-conscious, real estate market. Drawing on extensive primary source material, from property deeds and architectural drawings to trade cards and newspaper advertising, this book rehabilitates the status of the house builder by examining his negotiation of both the manual and intellectual dimensions of the building process. For the first time, Building Reputations considers the artisan as both a figure of building production and an agent of architectural taste.
Richard Russell
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195333176
- eISBN:
- 9780199864324
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195333176.003.0011
- Subject:
- Psychology, Vision, Cognitive Neuroscience
This chapter addresses the question of whether personal decoration practices are arbitrary or follow discernable rules. The primary focus of investigation is the practice of color cosmetics(make-up). ...
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This chapter addresses the question of whether personal decoration practices are arbitrary or follow discernable rules. The primary focus of investigation is the practice of color cosmetics(make-up). It begins by demonstrating the existence of a sex difference in facial contrast, then presents evidence that cosmetics are used in precisely the correct way to exaggerate this sex difference, making the face appear more feminine, and hence attractive. It then describes ways in which cosmetics are used to manipulate other factors of beauty in addition to sexual dimorphism. It proposes that cosmetics can be viewed as a kind of technology for manipulating these universal factors of facial attractiveness. Finally, the chapter discusses how this account of cosmetics may relate to personal decoration in general.Less
This chapter addresses the question of whether personal decoration practices are arbitrary or follow discernable rules. The primary focus of investigation is the practice of color cosmetics(make-up). It begins by demonstrating the existence of a sex difference in facial contrast, then presents evidence that cosmetics are used in precisely the correct way to exaggerate this sex difference, making the face appear more feminine, and hence attractive. It then describes ways in which cosmetics are used to manipulate other factors of beauty in addition to sexual dimorphism. It proposes that cosmetics can be viewed as a kind of technology for manipulating these universal factors of facial attractiveness. Finally, the chapter discusses how this account of cosmetics may relate to personal decoration in general.
Ivy G. Wilson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195337372
- eISBN:
- 9780199896929
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195337372.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, African-American Literature, American, 19th Century Literature
This chapter interrogates the idea of visuality in Herman Melville's short story “Benito Cereno” (1855) by examining the arrangement of space about the slave ship San Dominick. Turning away from the ...
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This chapter interrogates the idea of visuality in Herman Melville's short story “Benito Cereno” (1855) by examining the arrangement of space about the slave ship San Dominick. Turning away from the prevailing New Historicist readings, it argues that the text's fraught aesthetic sensibility needs to be correlated to the ambiguous social position of the African slaves. In Melville's story, the Spanish ship is riddled with improperly placed things, half-finished pieces of art, rude performances, and graffiti scrawling. “Benito Cereno” is best understood through its staging of art that are put into high relief if one thinks about the Africans as curators of sorts; the story sets the American Captain Delano's desire to restore law and order against the statelessness of the slaves whose insurrection is fashioned as a veritable example of Outsider Art.Less
This chapter interrogates the idea of visuality in Herman Melville's short story “Benito Cereno” (1855) by examining the arrangement of space about the slave ship San Dominick. Turning away from the prevailing New Historicist readings, it argues that the text's fraught aesthetic sensibility needs to be correlated to the ambiguous social position of the African slaves. In Melville's story, the Spanish ship is riddled with improperly placed things, half-finished pieces of art, rude performances, and graffiti scrawling. “Benito Cereno” is best understood through its staging of art that are put into high relief if one thinks about the Africans as curators of sorts; the story sets the American Captain Delano's desire to restore law and order against the statelessness of the slaves whose insurrection is fashioned as a veritable example of Outsider Art.
Marc Bizer
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199731565
- eISBN:
- 9780199918478
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731565.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter analyzes how Guillaume Budé’s interpretive work was continued by Dorat, who not only provided a coherent framework for Homeric exegesis, but helped chart a course toward realizing an ...
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This chapter analyzes how Guillaume Budé’s interpretive work was continued by Dorat, who not only provided a coherent framework for Homeric exegesis, but helped chart a course toward realizing an Homeric monarchy by training his students, who eventually formed the Pléiade group of poets, to sing the praises of the court in Homeric terms. He also helped construct a pictorial Homeric book of kingship, Fontainebleau’s Ulysses Gallery, a systematic affirmation of the king’s sovereignty as the embodiment of piety and prudence.Less
This chapter analyzes how Guillaume Budé’s interpretive work was continued by Dorat, who not only provided a coherent framework for Homeric exegesis, but helped chart a course toward realizing an Homeric monarchy by training his students, who eventually formed the Pléiade group of poets, to sing the praises of the court in Homeric terms. He also helped construct a pictorial Homeric book of kingship, Fontainebleau’s Ulysses Gallery, a systematic affirmation of the king’s sovereignty as the embodiment of piety and prudence.
Susan T. Falck
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781496824400
- eISBN:
- 9781496824448
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781496824400.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter clarifies that black communities experienced emancipation traditions in different ways. Given the large proportion of blacks in Natchez, and the region’s well-established free black ...
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This chapter clarifies that black communities experienced emancipation traditions in different ways. Given the large proportion of blacks in Natchez, and the region’s well-established free black community, it seemed probable that Natchez would experience a robust emancipation tradition. That was not the case. The grand 1867 Fourth of July parade in Natchez organized by the Union League drew a large crowd of African Americans, suggesting the beginnings of a bold emancipation tradition. Instead, public emancipation celebrations dwindled. By the time of the 1871 Decoration Day observance, leaders stressed reconciliation and a tribute to Confederate as well as Union soldiers, a far different message heard only four years earlier. The erosion of a black emancipation tradition resulted from the unusually close ties that existed between Natchez free blacks and white elites, and the fear among free blacks that it was in their best political interests to suppress such traditions.Less
This chapter clarifies that black communities experienced emancipation traditions in different ways. Given the large proportion of blacks in Natchez, and the region’s well-established free black community, it seemed probable that Natchez would experience a robust emancipation tradition. That was not the case. The grand 1867 Fourth of July parade in Natchez organized by the Union League drew a large crowd of African Americans, suggesting the beginnings of a bold emancipation tradition. Instead, public emancipation celebrations dwindled. By the time of the 1871 Decoration Day observance, leaders stressed reconciliation and a tribute to Confederate as well as Union soldiers, a far different message heard only four years earlier. The erosion of a black emancipation tradition resulted from the unusually close ties that existed between Natchez free blacks and white elites, and the fear among free blacks that it was in their best political interests to suppress such traditions.
Abby Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9781628461114
- eISBN:
- 9781626740624
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461114.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
Funerals were often delayed for weeks, months or even years following a death, and were sometimes held during a cemetery’s annual Decoration Day. There are many similarities between the funeral ...
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Funerals were often delayed for weeks, months or even years following a death, and were sometimes held during a cemetery’s annual Decoration Day. There are many similarities between the funeral service and the Southern tradition of Decoration Day, which predates the national observance of Memorial Day. The elements that made up both ceremonies (sermons, music, flowers) are described, while the observance of Decoration Day, which makes up half of the chapter, includes a brief history of this occasion. Here there is an emphasis on cemetery cleaning, making crepe paper flowers, the use of other grave decorations and the food (“dinner on the ground”), clothing and religious programs that marked this day as the most important in an Ozarker resident’s calendar.Less
Funerals were often delayed for weeks, months or even years following a death, and were sometimes held during a cemetery’s annual Decoration Day. There are many similarities between the funeral service and the Southern tradition of Decoration Day, which predates the national observance of Memorial Day. The elements that made up both ceremonies (sermons, music, flowers) are described, while the observance of Decoration Day, which makes up half of the chapter, includes a brief history of this occasion. Here there is an emphasis on cemetery cleaning, making crepe paper flowers, the use of other grave decorations and the food (“dinner on the ground”), clothing and religious programs that marked this day as the most important in an Ozarker resident’s calendar.
N. Keith Rutter and Brian Sparkes
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748614066
- eISBN:
- 9780748651054
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748614066.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
In ancient Greek society, communication was largely oral and visual. The epic poets sang and recited the legends that served the Greeks as their historical past; the art of rhetoric was a vital ...
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In ancient Greek society, communication was largely oral and visual. The epic poets sang and recited the legends that served the Greeks as their historical past; the art of rhetoric was a vital ingredient in speeches in the assembly and the law courts; in tragedies and comedies actors spoke to audiences of thousands. Of equal importance to the Greeks were the images with which they were always surrounded: civic and religious monuments; statuary; architectural decoration; and the scenes of myth, fantasy and everyday life with which their vases and vessels were painted and decorated. This book explores the ways in which these two central aspects of Greek culture interact, and throws new light on their many and related functions. It discusses the creation of the Greek myths during the early centuries of the first millennium bc; the significance of words and images on painted pottery; the relationship between drama on stage and the illustration of the same stories on pottery; and the ways in which stories portrayed in monumental sculpture on temples were understood by the people who came to look at them. Classical Greece produced the beginnings of the tradition of philosophical reflection on the nature and value of images, notably in the work of Plato and Aristotle: the concept of mimesis, concerned with questions both of representation and expression, is directly addressed by several of the authors, and forms an underlying theme of the book as a whole.Less
In ancient Greek society, communication was largely oral and visual. The epic poets sang and recited the legends that served the Greeks as their historical past; the art of rhetoric was a vital ingredient in speeches in the assembly and the law courts; in tragedies and comedies actors spoke to audiences of thousands. Of equal importance to the Greeks were the images with which they were always surrounded: civic and religious monuments; statuary; architectural decoration; and the scenes of myth, fantasy and everyday life with which their vases and vessels were painted and decorated. This book explores the ways in which these two central aspects of Greek culture interact, and throws new light on their many and related functions. It discusses the creation of the Greek myths during the early centuries of the first millennium bc; the significance of words and images on painted pottery; the relationship between drama on stage and the illustration of the same stories on pottery; and the ways in which stories portrayed in monumental sculpture on temples were understood by the people who came to look at them. Classical Greece produced the beginnings of the tradition of philosophical reflection on the nature and value of images, notably in the work of Plato and Aristotle: the concept of mimesis, concerned with questions both of representation and expression, is directly addressed by several of the authors, and forms an underlying theme of the book as a whole.
Anjan Chatterjee
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199811809
- eISBN:
- 9780199369546
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199811809.003.0022
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Sensory and Motor Systems
Perhaps journeying back to the origins of art, we might find art in a pristine form. Philosophers point out difficulties in defining art, and critics and historians point out difficulties in ...
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Perhaps journeying back to the origins of art, we might find art in a pristine form. Philosophers point out difficulties in defining art, and critics and historians point out difficulties in interpreting art. The Pleistocene, the period between 1.8 million years to 10,000 years ago, is when we find traces of early art. Perhaps examining ancient art, including ornaments and their decoration and geometry, will give us insight into both art and aesthetic experiences at their very inception.Less
Perhaps journeying back to the origins of art, we might find art in a pristine form. Philosophers point out difficulties in defining art, and critics and historians point out difficulties in interpreting art. The Pleistocene, the period between 1.8 million years to 10,000 years ago, is when we find traces of early art. Perhaps examining ancient art, including ornaments and their decoration and geometry, will give us insight into both art and aesthetic experiences at their very inception.
Anna Leone
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199570928
- eISBN:
- 9780191752292
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199570928.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical, Ancient Religions
This chapter examines the decoration of earlier Byzantine churches and the origin of their marble elements. The goal is to identify the processes of spoliation of pagan religious (and occasionally ...
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This chapter examines the decoration of earlier Byzantine churches and the origin of their marble elements. The goal is to identify the processes of spoliation of pagan religious (and occasionally non-religious) buildings and the evidence for the reuse of the material in other religious purposes. It includes an analysis of the material and architectural decorations of churches and their various provenances (e.g., in discussing trade) and the development of local sculptural traditions (e.g., local styles vs. imports). It considers the issue of the recycling of marbles and stones in churches and, if possible, their original locations. Certain places provide better-documented examples and serve as case studies, such as the church in the basilica in the forum of Sabratha. The chapter looks principally at architecture and discusses whether the praxis of material reuse took into account the original location and function of such material.Less
This chapter examines the decoration of earlier Byzantine churches and the origin of their marble elements. The goal is to identify the processes of spoliation of pagan religious (and occasionally non-religious) buildings and the evidence for the reuse of the material in other religious purposes. It includes an analysis of the material and architectural decorations of churches and their various provenances (e.g., in discussing trade) and the development of local sculptural traditions (e.g., local styles vs. imports). It considers the issue of the recycling of marbles and stones in churches and, if possible, their original locations. Certain places provide better-documented examples and serve as case studies, such as the church in the basilica in the forum of Sabratha. The chapter looks principally at architecture and discusses whether the praxis of material reuse took into account the original location and function of such material.
Gawdat Gabra
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774248924
- eISBN:
- 9781617970443
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774248924.003.0022
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter examines the Christian funerary stelae or tombstones excavated at the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt. Various regional conditions influenced the development of Christian funerary stelae in Egypt ...
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This chapter examines the Christian funerary stelae or tombstones excavated at the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt. Various regional conditions influenced the development of Christian funerary stelae in Egypt and they fall within the larger category of so-called Coptic art influenced at first by Greco-Roman funerary decorations. The decorative programs of the stelae from burial grounds in the Fayoum were varied, but generally fall into three types. These are the mother-with-child stelae, the aedicula type or orans type, and the stelae with elaborate crosses.Less
This chapter examines the Christian funerary stelae or tombstones excavated at the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt. Various regional conditions influenced the development of Christian funerary stelae in Egypt and they fall within the larger category of so-called Coptic art influenced at first by Greco-Roman funerary decorations. The decorative programs of the stelae from burial grounds in the Fayoum were varied, but generally fall into three types. These are the mother-with-child stelae, the aedicula type or orans type, and the stelae with elaborate crosses.
Wendy Scase
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780197265833
- eISBN:
- 9780191771996
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265833.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, Early and Medieval Literature
London, British Library, MS Additional 37787, a volume of prayers and other devotions and related material, was part-edited by Nita S. Baugh as A Worcestershire Miscellany Compiled by John Northwood ...
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London, British Library, MS Additional 37787, a volume of prayers and other devotions and related material, was part-edited by Nita S. Baugh as A Worcestershire Miscellany Compiled by John Northwood c. 1400 (1956). Baugh’s title was based on ownership inscriptions of John Northwood, monk at Bordesley Abbey, Worcestershire, and members of the Throckmorton family also of Worcestershire. These associations have made the manuscript an important witness in narratives about Cistercian participation in the production and circulation of Middle English verse manuscripts in the West Midlands and the role of monasteries in fostering vernacular writing and book production, including the Vernon and Simeon manuscripts. This chapter proposes that this view is called into question by careful codicological examination of the volume. Through challenging these propositions it suggests alternative ways to explore and explain the production of books containing vernacular prayers and devotions in late medieval England.Less
London, British Library, MS Additional 37787, a volume of prayers and other devotions and related material, was part-edited by Nita S. Baugh as A Worcestershire Miscellany Compiled by John Northwood c. 1400 (1956). Baugh’s title was based on ownership inscriptions of John Northwood, monk at Bordesley Abbey, Worcestershire, and members of the Throckmorton family also of Worcestershire. These associations have made the manuscript an important witness in narratives about Cistercian participation in the production and circulation of Middle English verse manuscripts in the West Midlands and the role of monasteries in fostering vernacular writing and book production, including the Vernon and Simeon manuscripts. This chapter proposes that this view is called into question by careful codicological examination of the volume. Through challenging these propositions it suggests alternative ways to explore and explain the production of books containing vernacular prayers and devotions in late medieval England.
Maryl B. Gensheimer
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- July 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190614782
- eISBN:
- 9780190614805
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190614782.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, History of Art: pre-history, BCE to 500CE, ancient and classical, Byzantine
Across the Roman Empire, ubiquitous archaeological, art historical, and literary evidence attests to the significance of bathing for Romans’ daily routines. Given the importance of bathing to the ...
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Across the Roman Empire, ubiquitous archaeological, art historical, and literary evidence attests to the significance of bathing for Romans’ daily routines. Given the importance of bathing to the Roman style of living, imperial patrons enhanced their popular and political stature by endowing eight magnificent baths (the so-called imperial thermae) in the city of Rome between 25 B.C.E. and 315 C.E. This book presents a detailed analysis of the decoration of the best preserved of these bathing complexes, the Baths of Caracalla (inaugurated 216 C.E.). An interdisciplinary approach to the archaeological data, to the textual and visual sources, and to anthropological theories facilitates new understandings of the visual experience of the Baths of Caracalla for a diverse Roman audience and simultaneously elucidates the decoration’s critical role in advancing imperial agendas. This reassessment of one of the most sophisticated examples of architectural patronage in Classical antiquity examines the specific mechanisms through which an imperial patron could use architectural decoration to emphasize his sociopolitical position relative to the thousands of people who enjoyed his benefaction. The case studies addressed herein, ranging from architectural to freestanding sculpture and mosaic, demonstrate that sponsoring monumental baths was hardly an act of altruism. Rather, even while they provided recreation for elite and sub-altern Romans alike, such buildings were concerned primarily with dynastic legitimacy and imperial largess. The unified decorative program—and the messages of imperial power therein—adroitly articulated these themes.Less
Across the Roman Empire, ubiquitous archaeological, art historical, and literary evidence attests to the significance of bathing for Romans’ daily routines. Given the importance of bathing to the Roman style of living, imperial patrons enhanced their popular and political stature by endowing eight magnificent baths (the so-called imperial thermae) in the city of Rome between 25 B.C.E. and 315 C.E. This book presents a detailed analysis of the decoration of the best preserved of these bathing complexes, the Baths of Caracalla (inaugurated 216 C.E.). An interdisciplinary approach to the archaeological data, to the textual and visual sources, and to anthropological theories facilitates new understandings of the visual experience of the Baths of Caracalla for a diverse Roman audience and simultaneously elucidates the decoration’s critical role in advancing imperial agendas. This reassessment of one of the most sophisticated examples of architectural patronage in Classical antiquity examines the specific mechanisms through which an imperial patron could use architectural decoration to emphasize his sociopolitical position relative to the thousands of people who enjoyed his benefaction. The case studies addressed herein, ranging from architectural to freestanding sculpture and mosaic, demonstrate that sponsoring monumental baths was hardly an act of altruism. Rather, even while they provided recreation for elite and sub-altern Romans alike, such buildings were concerned primarily with dynastic legitimacy and imperial largess. The unified decorative program—and the messages of imperial power therein—adroitly articulated these themes.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774163043
- eISBN:
- 9781936190041
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163043.003.0003
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
The construction of tombs for the nobility of Akhenaten's court began soon after the Amarna was occupied, but a sheer amount of work was required in building these tombs. As a result, the tombs are ...
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The construction of tombs for the nobility of Akhenaten's court began soon after the Amarna was occupied, but a sheer amount of work was required in building these tombs. As a result, the tombs are more or less unfinished. Versions of Aten-name are found in their decoration which highlights the monuments, although the order of construction is not clear. However, two tombs, Huya and Meryre II, stand out having a specifically dated relief, which bulk their decoration after Year 12. A version of Meryre II had been carved on the right hand wall of the principal hall tomb-chapel but half of the tomb was still undecorated. The sculptor used the standard pattern in most unfinished tombs in Amarna to decorate the walls on either side of the entrance. This tomb is where Meryre II intended his mummy ultimately to lie.Less
The construction of tombs for the nobility of Akhenaten's court began soon after the Amarna was occupied, but a sheer amount of work was required in building these tombs. As a result, the tombs are more or less unfinished. Versions of Aten-name are found in their decoration which highlights the monuments, although the order of construction is not clear. However, two tombs, Huya and Meryre II, stand out having a specifically dated relief, which bulk their decoration after Year 12. A version of Meryre II had been carved on the right hand wall of the principal hall tomb-chapel but half of the tomb was still undecorated. The sculptor used the standard pattern in most unfinished tombs in Amarna to decorate the walls on either side of the entrance. This tomb is where Meryre II intended his mummy ultimately to lie.
Jane Manning
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780199390960
- eISBN:
- 9780199391011
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199390960.003.0014
- Subject:
- Music, Performing Practice/Studies, Popular
This chapter focuses on British composer Jonathan Cole’s Sorful Ter (1997, revised 2001). This pair of settings of complementary medieval poems displays Cole’s strong compositional persona and ...
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This chapter focuses on British composer Jonathan Cole’s Sorful Ter (1997, revised 2001). This pair of settings of complementary medieval poems displays Cole’s strong compositional persona and sensitivity to atmosphere. The two songs are extremely moving, unified by the fact that the same character, the Virgin Mary, is singing. In the first (‘The Virgin’s Song’), she bemoans in a lullaby the poverty-stricken fate of her baby son, and in the second (‘Lovely Tear of Lovely Eye’), she agonizes over his death. The musical treatment, however, is markedly different. The first song is relatively straightforward and intimate in feeling, but the second is elaborate in the extreme—teeming with decorations, trills, grace notes, and intricate rhythms. Both performers are given a highly satisfying task. The pianist will be kept fully exercised, with a wealth of bravura passages and piercing rhythmic patterns. Despite the atonality of the idiom, the composer frequently returns to an anchoring base note, even amongst the most florid vocal lines, and this will help the singer’s orientation.Less
This chapter focuses on British composer Jonathan Cole’s Sorful Ter (1997, revised 2001). This pair of settings of complementary medieval poems displays Cole’s strong compositional persona and sensitivity to atmosphere. The two songs are extremely moving, unified by the fact that the same character, the Virgin Mary, is singing. In the first (‘The Virgin’s Song’), she bemoans in a lullaby the poverty-stricken fate of her baby son, and in the second (‘Lovely Tear of Lovely Eye’), she agonizes over his death. The musical treatment, however, is markedly different. The first song is relatively straightforward and intimate in feeling, but the second is elaborate in the extreme—teeming with decorations, trills, grace notes, and intricate rhythms. Both performers are given a highly satisfying task. The pianist will be kept fully exercised, with a wealth of bravura passages and piercing rhythmic patterns. Despite the atonality of the idiom, the composer frequently returns to an anchoring base note, even amongst the most florid vocal lines, and this will help the singer’s orientation.
