Art-archaeology: the materiality of classical art history

<p>All art history involves inherent tensions between the materiality of the works of art - their rootedness in time and space - and the mobility of the ideas and imagery that they embody. The tension is all the more striking in the study of ancient art. On the one hand, classical art history,...

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Main Author: Stewart, P
Format: Record
Language:English
Published: 2014
Subjects:
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author Stewart, P
author_facet Stewart, P
author_sort Stewart, P
collection OXFORD
description <p>All art history involves inherent tensions between the materiality of the works of art - their rootedness in time and space - and the mobility of the ideas and imagery that they embody. The tension is all the more striking in the study of ancient art. On the one hand, classical art history, with its traditional dependence on archaeology, deals with perishable, intractable objects dug up in particular places. On the other hand, it has always been concerned with the intangible spread of Graeco-Roman styles and iconography, with abstract typologies, material and visual cultures and how they transcend material constraints. This paper explores some of the forms of material resistance which have filtered our experience of ancient art, including the accidents of archaeological survival. But such limitations affect not only the objects that we study, but also the processes of studying them. Our construction of the past, the books and articles we read and write, the photographs we reproduce or view, the dissemination of ideas on paper or on the web... These too have their hidden material constraints, which are explored in the paper.</p>
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spelling oxford-uuid:3bce74a7-47f4-4202-a5e8-d4f0bd52dc7e2023-11-10T10:45:30ZArt-archaeology: the materiality of classical art historyRecordhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_1843uuid:3bce74a7-47f4-4202-a5e8-d4f0bd52dc7eArchaeologyVisual art and representationReception of Classical antiquityHistory of art and visual cultureArtRoman archeologyGreek archeologyEnglishOxford University Research Archive - Valet2014Stewart, P<p>All art history involves inherent tensions between the materiality of the works of art - their rootedness in time and space - and the mobility of the ideas and imagery that they embody. The tension is all the more striking in the study of ancient art. On the one hand, classical art history, with its traditional dependence on archaeology, deals with perishable, intractable objects dug up in particular places. On the other hand, it has always been concerned with the intangible spread of Graeco-Roman styles and iconography, with abstract typologies, material and visual cultures and how they transcend material constraints. This paper explores some of the forms of material resistance which have filtered our experience of ancient art, including the accidents of archaeological survival. But such limitations affect not only the objects that we study, but also the processes of studying them. Our construction of the past, the books and articles we read and write, the photographs we reproduce or view, the dissemination of ideas on paper or on the web... These too have their hidden material constraints, which are explored in the paper.</p>
spellingShingle Archaeology
Visual art and representation
Reception of Classical antiquity
History of art and visual culture
Art
Roman archeology
Greek archeology
Stewart, P
Art-archaeology: the materiality of classical art history
title Art-archaeology: the materiality of classical art history
title_full Art-archaeology: the materiality of classical art history
title_fullStr Art-archaeology: the materiality of classical art history
title_full_unstemmed Art-archaeology: the materiality of classical art history
title_short Art-archaeology: the materiality of classical art history
title_sort art archaeology the materiality of classical art history
topic Archaeology
Visual art and representation
Reception of Classical antiquity
History of art and visual culture
Art
Roman archeology
Greek archeology
work_keys_str_mv AT stewartp artarchaeologythematerialityofclassicalarthistory