Shaky Ground

Context, Connoisseurship and the History of Roman Art

AvElizabeth Marlowe,Richard Hodges

Häftad, Engelska, 2015

Del i serien Debates in Archaeology

530 kr

Beställningsvara. Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar. Fri frakt över 249 kr.

Fler format och utgåvor

Inbunden

1 531 kr

Skickas inom 5-8 vardagar

Beskrivning

The recent crisis in the world of antiquities collecting has prompted scholars and the general public to pay more attention than ever before to the archaeological findspots and collecting histories of ancient artworks. This new scrutiny is applied to works currently on the market as well as to those acquired since (and despite) the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which aimed to prevent the trafficking in cultural property. When it comes to famous works that have been in major museums for many generations, however, the matter of their origins is rarely considered. Canonical pieces like the Barberini Togatus or the Fonseca bust of a Flavian lady appear in many scholarly studies and virtually every textbook on Roman art. But we have no more certainty about these works' archaeological contexts than we do about those that surface on the market today. This book argues that the current legal and ethical debates over looting, ownership and cultural property have distracted us from the epistemological problems inherent in all (ostensibly) ancient artworks lacking a known findspot, problems that should be of great concern to those who seek to understand the past through its material remains.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2015-04-23
Mått:138 x 216 x 11 mm
Vikt:222 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Debates in Archaeology
Antal sidor:184
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:9781474234665

Utforska kategorier

Arkeologiska perioder och områden inom Historia och arkeologi

Mer om författaren

Elizabeth Marlowe is Assistant Professor of Art and Art History at Colgate University, USA.

Recensioner i media

Marlowe’s book casts a raking light on a central problem long-embedded in scholarship on the history and meaning of Roman art—the practice of using “ungrounded” works (those for which little or no excavation history is available) as historical evidence. Many such works currently populate textbook histories of Roman art almost solely based on their style. The traditional reliance on connoisseurship and circular reasoning to underpin chronological and aesthetic judgments concerning these works comes in for especially sharp criticism. Advocating for a more holistic, socio-historical approach, Marlowe demonstrates how “grounded” works from controlled excavations can change the traditional picture. By taking account of the wide array of physical and historical evidence that accompanies “grounded” works, one can construct a far more complex story of how Roman art developed and functioned, and what it meant in the society of its time. This bold and refreshing look at traditional practices and assumptions will surely raise the awareness of—and stimulate debate among—archaeologists and art historians who must grapple with incomplete evidence to construct meaningful histories of Roman art.

Innehållsförteckning

Introduction Chapter 1: Histories Ancient and ModernChapter 2: Indifference to ContextChapter 3: Lessons Not LearnedChapter 4: Connoisseurship and ClassChapter 5: Red HerringsConclusion: Best PracticesBibliographyIndex