Sotades : Symbols of Immortality on Greek Vases

ISBN-13: 9780198150619 / Angielski

¬Abar;¬Abar

Opis

In this book the author explores the work of the fifth-century BC Athenian vase-painter, Sotades, one of the most familiar names in vase painting. Previous scholarship has dealt mainly with questions of attribution, style, and iconographic interpretation, but Dr Hoffman concentrates on inherent meaning: what does the imagery of these decorated vases really signify. He argues that, contrary to widely held conceptions, there is an underlying unity of meaning in Greek vases and their imagery, a unity rooted in the religious beliefs and ritual practices of the society from which they spring. Each chapter discusses a specific aspect of the artist's iconology, placing it in the context of fifth-century BC Greek philosophical and religious thought.

Recenzje

Hoffman has an impressive grasp of a formidable range of evidence related to his subject, and has built up a complex and interesting series of interpretations. The footnotes in particular testify to a readiness to include evidence from all areas of the ancient world, not solely from art and archeology ... Hoffman has some fascinating insights, and has certainly thrown open some new areas for study; the book is full of possibilities. Although one may not be convinced by all his conclusion, the process by which he reaches them is always interesting.