Description
The study of Greek and Roman Art and Architecture has a long history that goes back to the second one half of the 18th century and has provided an very important contribution towards the creation and the definition of the wider disciplines of Art History and Architectural History. This venerable tradition and record are in part liable for the diffused tendency to steer clear of general discussions addressing the larger theoretical implications, methodologies, and directions of research in the discipline. This attitude is in sharp contrast not only with the wider field of Art History, but also with disciplines that are traditionally associated with the study of Greek and Roman Art and Architecture, like Classics and Classical Archaeology. In contemporary years, the field has been characterized by an ever-increasing range of approaches, under the influence of quite a lot of disciplines such as Sociology, Semiotics, Gender Theory, Anthropology, Reception Theory, and Hermeneutics. In light of these contemporary developments, this Handbook seeks to explore key aspects of Greek and Roman Art and Architecture, and to assess the current state of the discipline.
The Handbook includes thirty essays, along with the introduction, by an international team of leading senior scholars, who have played a critical role in shaping the field, and by younger scholars, who will express the perspectives of a newer generation. After a framing introduction written by the editor, which compares ancient and brand new notions of art and architecture, the Handbook is divided into five sections: Pictures from the Inside, Greek and Roman Art and Architecture in the Making, Ancient Contexts, Post-Antique Contexts, and Approaches. Together, the essays in the volume make for an innovative and essential book, one that may be certain to find a wide readership.