Reading Greek art / essays by Nikolaus Himmelmann ; selected by Hugo Meyer ; edited by William Childs.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Himmelmann, Nikolaus, 1929-

Contributor:

Meyer, Hugo.

Childs, William A. P., 1942-

Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Art, Greek--Themes, motives.

Art, Greek.

Gods, Greek, in art.

Physical Description:

xxi, 317 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, [1998]

Summary:

Nikolaus Himmelmann is a distinguished scholar who has written extensively on Greek and Roman art and the reception of ancient art in the post-antique world. His works have been translated from their original German into many languages, but this is the first translation of his seminal writings into English. Their primary theme is the manner in which ancient art communicated in its time and how modern cultures have dealt with the fundamentally ambiguous characteristics of ancient art. The work contained here provides an indispensable introduction to Himmelmann's critical approach to Greek art and to the function of art in any society. Reading Greek Art amplifies the original essays by adding up-to-date references, additional illustrations, and considered groupings of related articles. The collection demonstrates not only Himmelmann's wide-ranging interests but also the overall coherence of his thought and vision.

The book is divided into two parts. The first focuses on the correlation of form and content in Greek painting and sculpture. The second presents Himmelmann's reflections on both a method of approach to works of ancient art and the role of antiquity in contemporary society. For many years, the difficulty of reading Himmelmann in his native German has been a barrier for both students and professionals. The translation of his most significant work into English is a major contribution to scholarship in several academic fields, including art history, ancient history, archaeology, and social and cultural history.

Contents:

Pt. I Greek Art

The Plastic Arts in Homeric Society 25

Narrative and Figure in Archaic Art 67

Some Characteristics of the Representation of Gods in Classical Art 103

The Divine Assembly on the Sosias Cup 139

The Stance of the Polykleitan Diadoumenos 156

The Knidian Aphrodite 187

Pt. II Approach and Meaning

A "Sarcophagus" from Megiste 201

Winckelmann's Hermeneutic 217

The Utopian Past: Archaeology and Modern Culture 237.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

0691058253

0691058261

OCLC:

37432788