Shaky ground context, connoisseurship and the history of Roman art.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marlowe, Elizabeth, author.

Series:

Debates in Archaeology

Debates in archaeology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rome--Antiquities.

Rome.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (179 p.)

Place of Publication:

[London Bloomsbury 2013]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"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 questions of archaeological findspots and collecting history for newly found objects. When it comes to famous works that have been in major museums for many generations, such questions are rarely asked. Canonical pieces like Barberini Togatus or the Fonseca bust of a Flavian lady appear in virtually every textbook on Roman art. But we have no more certainty about these works' archaeological origins than we do about those that appear in auction catalogues today. This book argues that the question of archaeological origins should be the first asked, not only by museum acquisitions boards, but by scholars as well."--Bloomsbury Publishing

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

Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1: Histories Ancient and Modern

Chapter 2: Indifference to Context

Chapter 3: Lessons Not Learned

Chapter 4: Connoisseurship and Class

Chapter 5: Red Herrings

Conclusion: Best Practices

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Cover title

Includes bibliographical references and index

ISBN:

9781472502094

1472502094

9781472555755

1472555759

9781472502100

1472502108

OCLC:

861538613