What do you think?
Rate this book
History of the Art of Antiquity
"Translation of a foundational text for the disciplines of art history and archaeology. Offers a systematic history of art in ancient Egypt, Persia, Etruria, Rome, and, above all, Greece that synthesizes the visual and written evidence then available"--Provided by publisher.
446 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1762
19 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
About the author
Johann Joachim Winckelmann
475 books55 followersJohann Joachim Winckelmann was a German art historian and archaeologist. He was a pioneering Hellenist who first articulated the difference between Greek, Greco-Roman and Roman art. "The prophet and founding hero of modern archaeology", Winckelmann was one of the founders of scientific archaeology and first applied the categories of style on a large, systematic basis to the history of art. Many consider him the father of the discipline of art history. His would be the decisive influence on the rise of the neoclassical movement during the late 18th century. His writings influenced not only a new science of archaeology and art history but Western painting, sculpture, literature and even philosophy. Winckelmann's History of Ancient Art (1764) was one of the first books written in German to become a classic of European literature. His subsequent influence on Lessing, Herder, Goethe, Hölderlin, Heine, Nietzsche, George, and Spengler has been provocatively called "the Tyranny of Greece over Germany."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 17, 2024
Johann Joachim Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity (Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums, first published in 1764) is a foundational text in the history of art and a cornerstone of 18th-century aesthetic thought. Widely regarded as the first comprehensive and systematic study of ancient art, the work is not only a remarkable achievement of scholarship but also an influential document in shaping the modern discipline of art history. In this translated edition by Harry Francis Mallgrave, Winckelmann’s original German is rendered into accessible and elegant English, allowing contemporary readers to appreciate both the rigor of Winckelmann’s analysis and the literary quality of his prose.
Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity seeks to trace the evolution of art in the ancient world, particularly focusing on Greek art as the epitome of artistic achievement. Divided into multiple sections, the work delineates the stylistic development of art across historical periods, examining the cultural, material, and environmental factors that contributed to these shifts. Winckelmann’s analysis encompasses sculpture, painting, and architecture, and it reflects his broad knowledge of classical literature, archaeology, and the physical remnants of antiquity. The book is structured as a teleological narrative in which Greek art reaches its apogee before experiencing decline in the Roman period.
At the heart of Winckelmann’s thesis is his famous declaration that the essence of Greek art lies in “noble simplicity and quiet grandeur” (edle Einfalt und stille Größe). For Winckelmann, this aesthetic ideal represents a balance of naturalism and idealization, in which the human form is rendered with both technical precision and a sense of timeless harmony. Greek art, according to Winckelmann, embodies a perfect unity between form and content, reflecting the moral and philosophical ideals of Greek society. This judgment, while subjective, would profoundly influence subsequent generations of artists, critics, and scholars, including figures like Goethe, Schiller, and later, the proponents of Neoclassicism.
One of the most significant contributions of Winckelmann’s work lies in its methodological innovation. By organizing art into distinct historical and stylistic periods, Winckelmann laid the groundwork for modern art-historical scholarship. His tripartite division of artistic development—“ancient,” “high,” and “decline”—provides a model for understanding stylistic change over time, a model that would later be refined and critiqued by figures such as Heinrich Wölfflin and Alois Riegl. Winckelmann’s insistence on situating works of art within their cultural and historical contexts marks a shift away from the purely connoisseurial approach of earlier antiquarians, establishing art history as a discipline grounded in both historical inquiry and aesthetic evaluation.
However, Winckelmann’s work is not without its limitations, some of which reflect the intellectual and cultural biases of his time. His privileging of Greek art over Roman art and his idealization of Greek culture have been subjects of extensive critique. Winckelmann viewed Roman art as derivative, lacking the purity and originality of its Greek antecedents. This hierarchical framework not only oversimplifies the relationship between Greek and Roman art but also marginalizes the artistic achievements of other ancient cultures, which Winckelmann either dismisses or ignores entirely. Modern scholarship, informed by archaeology and a broader understanding of cultural exchange, has challenged this Eurocentric and Hellenophilic perspective.
Moreover, Winckelmann’s aesthetic judgments are deeply informed by his own philosophical and emotional investment in antiquity. His writing frequently oscillates between objective analysis and lyrical expression, betraying a Romantic yearning for an idealized past. This tension—between scholarship and sentiment—can be seen as both a strength and a weakness of the text. On the one hand, it imbues Winckelmann’s work with a sense of passion and urgency that distinguishes it from the more arid scholarship of his contemporaries. On the other hand, it raises questions about the objectivity of his interpretations, particularly his tendency to project moral and philosophical ideals onto ancient works of art.
Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity also holds particular significance for its broader cultural impact. As a key text of the Enlightenment, it reflects the era’s fascination with antiquity as a source of aesthetic, moral, and intellectual inspiration. Winckelmann’s ideas would go on to shape the Neoclassical movement in art and architecture, as well as the broader cultural revival of Greco-Roman ideals. Furthermore, his celebration of the male form and his homoerotic admiration for Greek sculpture have been explored in recent scholarship as an important aspect of his legacy, revealing the interplay between personal desire and scholarly interpretation in his work.
Harry Francis Mallgrave’s translation is a major achievement in its own right, balancing fidelity to Winckelmann’s original German with a clear and readable English prose style. Mallgrave’s introduction and annotations provide invaluable context for understanding Winckelmann’s intellectual milieu, his sources, and the reception of his work. This edition thus serves both as a scholarly resource and as an accessible entry point for readers new to Winckelmann’s writings.
In conclusion, Johann Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity remains a seminal text in the history of art, combining methodological innovation with profound aesthetic insight. While aspects of Winckelmann’s work have been critiqued and revised by subsequent scholarship, his influence on the development of art history as a discipline is undeniable. Mallgrave’s excellent translation ensures that this foundational work continues to be accessible to contemporary readers, inviting them to engage with Winckelmann’s vision of antiquity as a source of enduring artistic and cultural ideals. For students and scholars of art history, aesthetics, and Enlightenment thought, Winckelmann’s History remains an indispensable text, offering both a historical record of ancient art and a reflection on the evolving relationship between art, culture, and human aspiration.
GPT
Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity seeks to trace the evolution of art in the ancient world, particularly focusing on Greek art as the epitome of artistic achievement. Divided into multiple sections, the work delineates the stylistic development of art across historical periods, examining the cultural, material, and environmental factors that contributed to these shifts. Winckelmann’s analysis encompasses sculpture, painting, and architecture, and it reflects his broad knowledge of classical literature, archaeology, and the physical remnants of antiquity. The book is structured as a teleological narrative in which Greek art reaches its apogee before experiencing decline in the Roman period.
At the heart of Winckelmann’s thesis is his famous declaration that the essence of Greek art lies in “noble simplicity and quiet grandeur” (edle Einfalt und stille Größe). For Winckelmann, this aesthetic ideal represents a balance of naturalism and idealization, in which the human form is rendered with both technical precision and a sense of timeless harmony. Greek art, according to Winckelmann, embodies a perfect unity between form and content, reflecting the moral and philosophical ideals of Greek society. This judgment, while subjective, would profoundly influence subsequent generations of artists, critics, and scholars, including figures like Goethe, Schiller, and later, the proponents of Neoclassicism.
One of the most significant contributions of Winckelmann’s work lies in its methodological innovation. By organizing art into distinct historical and stylistic periods, Winckelmann laid the groundwork for modern art-historical scholarship. His tripartite division of artistic development—“ancient,” “high,” and “decline”—provides a model for understanding stylistic change over time, a model that would later be refined and critiqued by figures such as Heinrich Wölfflin and Alois Riegl. Winckelmann’s insistence on situating works of art within their cultural and historical contexts marks a shift away from the purely connoisseurial approach of earlier antiquarians, establishing art history as a discipline grounded in both historical inquiry and aesthetic evaluation.
However, Winckelmann’s work is not without its limitations, some of which reflect the intellectual and cultural biases of his time. His privileging of Greek art over Roman art and his idealization of Greek culture have been subjects of extensive critique. Winckelmann viewed Roman art as derivative, lacking the purity and originality of its Greek antecedents. This hierarchical framework not only oversimplifies the relationship between Greek and Roman art but also marginalizes the artistic achievements of other ancient cultures, which Winckelmann either dismisses or ignores entirely. Modern scholarship, informed by archaeology and a broader understanding of cultural exchange, has challenged this Eurocentric and Hellenophilic perspective.
Moreover, Winckelmann’s aesthetic judgments are deeply informed by his own philosophical and emotional investment in antiquity. His writing frequently oscillates between objective analysis and lyrical expression, betraying a Romantic yearning for an idealized past. This tension—between scholarship and sentiment—can be seen as both a strength and a weakness of the text. On the one hand, it imbues Winckelmann’s work with a sense of passion and urgency that distinguishes it from the more arid scholarship of his contemporaries. On the other hand, it raises questions about the objectivity of his interpretations, particularly his tendency to project moral and philosophical ideals onto ancient works of art.
Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity also holds particular significance for its broader cultural impact. As a key text of the Enlightenment, it reflects the era’s fascination with antiquity as a source of aesthetic, moral, and intellectual inspiration. Winckelmann’s ideas would go on to shape the Neoclassical movement in art and architecture, as well as the broader cultural revival of Greco-Roman ideals. Furthermore, his celebration of the male form and his homoerotic admiration for Greek sculpture have been explored in recent scholarship as an important aspect of his legacy, revealing the interplay between personal desire and scholarly interpretation in his work.
Harry Francis Mallgrave’s translation is a major achievement in its own right, balancing fidelity to Winckelmann’s original German with a clear and readable English prose style. Mallgrave’s introduction and annotations provide invaluable context for understanding Winckelmann’s intellectual milieu, his sources, and the reception of his work. This edition thus serves both as a scholarly resource and as an accessible entry point for readers new to Winckelmann’s writings.
In conclusion, Johann Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity remains a seminal text in the history of art, combining methodological innovation with profound aesthetic insight. While aspects of Winckelmann’s work have been critiqued and revised by subsequent scholarship, his influence on the development of art history as a discipline is undeniable. Mallgrave’s excellent translation ensures that this foundational work continues to be accessible to contemporary readers, inviting them to engage with Winckelmann’s vision of antiquity as a source of enduring artistic and cultural ideals. For students and scholars of art history, aesthetics, and Enlightenment thought, Winckelmann’s History remains an indispensable text, offering both a historical record of ancient art and a reflection on the evolving relationship between art, culture, and human aspiration.
GPT
September 7, 2023
Ο Winckelmann είναι ο πρώτος ιστορικός τέχνης. Αλλά και ο πρώτος που φώτισε τόσο εμφατικά την αξία της αρχαίας ελληνικής καλλιτεχνικής δημιουργίας αναδεικνύοντας την ως πρότυπο κάλλους σε ολόκληρη την αμιγώς ρωμαιοκεντρική έως τότε Ευρώπη και επηρεάζοντας 'ανεπανόρθωτα' πνεύματα όπως του Hölderlin, του Nietzsche και του Goethe. Ένας Γερμανός του 18ου αιώνα χωρίς ακαδημαϊκές περγαμηνές, αλλά με οξύτατο καλλιτεχνικό αισθητήριο ο οποίος δεν ταξίδεψε ποτέ στην Ελλάδα αλλά γνώρισε την αρχαία ελληνική τέχνη μέσα από τα ρωμαϊκά αντίγραφα που είδε στην Ρώμη και σε άλλες ιταλικές πόλεις όπου έζησε. Ο Winckelmann αφιερώνει το 4ο και μεγαλύτερο σε έκταση κεφάλαιο του έργου του στους Έλληνες. Εκεί εξετάζει γιατί άνθισε αυτή η μεγαλειώδης τέχνη σ'αυτήν την γωνιά της γης μιλώντας ιδιαίτερα για την ελευθερία των ανθρώπων που συνεπάγεται και ελευθερία πνεύματος αλλά και για την επίδραση του ουρανού, του φωτός και του κλίματος στην ανάπτυξη μιας τέτοιας τέχνης. Η περιγραφή των αγαλμάτων ή των ζωγραφικών έργων που κάνει είναι εξαντλητικά λεπτομερής. Φαίνεται μάλιστα να κατέχεται από έξαψη και ειλικρινή συγκίνηση όταν μιλάει για έργα τέτοιας ομορφιάς. Ανάμεσα σε πολλά άλλα μαθαίνουμε ότι μόνο η Αφροδίτη από τις θεές απεικονιζόταν γυμνή, ότι οι θηλές στο στήθος δεν είναι ορατές, ότι στις μορφές των θεών δεν είναι εμφανή ούτε νεύρα ούτε φλέβες, ότι το μήκος των αγαλμάτων είναι το μήκος του πόδα τους επί 6, ότι ο αριστερός όρχις απεικονίζεται πάντα μεγαλύτερος από τον δεξιό, ότι ο ομφαλός είναι εμφαντικά βυθισμένος. Μαθαίνουμε για την αταραξία των απεικονιζόμενων θεών, αλλά και για το πώς αναπαρίσταντο τα ενδύματα των γυναικείων και ανδρικών μορφών αλλά και τα ζώα. Η παρατηρητικότητα του Winckelmann είναι παροιμιώδης και είναι βέβαιο ότι είχε αφιερώσει αμέτρητες ώρες παρατηρώντας και καταγράφοντας τα χαρακτηριστικά πολλών έργων τέχνης. Παρά το γεγονός ότι σήμερα γνωρίζουμε ότι πολλά από τα συμπεράσματα του δεν είναι εντελώς ακριβή, δεν μπορεί κανείς να μην θαυμάσει αυτό του το έργο.
Η έκδοση του Gutenberg είναι φροντισμένη και αποτελεί τεράστια προσφορά στην ελληνική εκδοτική παραγωγή. Υπάρχουν όμως δυο θέματα. Το πρώτο είναι η απουσία εικόνων των έργων που να συνδέονται οργανικά με το κείμενο. Όταν πχ ο συγγραφέας περιγράφει ένα έργο θα ήταν πολύ βοηθητικό εάν υπήρχε η εικόνα του έργου είτε ακριβώς δίπλα είτε με μια παραπομπή σε κάποιο άλλο σημείο ώστε να μπορεί ο αναγνώστης να παρακολουθήσει και να εκτίμησει καλύτερα το βάθος των περιγραφών και αναλύσεων του Winckelmann. Χωρίς αμφιβολία υπάρχουν πολλές φωτογραφίες έργων διάσπαρτες μέσα στο βιβλίο, οι οποίες όμως δεν έχουν άμεση σχέση με το κείμενο. Ένα πρότυπο και παράδειγμα προς μίμηση προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση θα μπορούσε να είναι η δουλειά που έχουν κάνει οι Εναλλακτικές εκδόσεις για το έργο του Κώστα Παπαϊωάννου 'Τέχνη και Πολιτισμός στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα'.
Το δεύτερο είναι ότι θα ήταν χρήσιμο για τον σημερινό αναγνώστη εάν υπήρχαν σημειώσεις και σχόλια που να διορθώνουν τις πιθανές ανακρίβειες του κειμένου με βάση την σύγχρονη γνώση μας που δεν θα μπορούσε φυσικά να διαθέτει ο Winckelmann στην εποχή του. Τώρα πιστεύω ότι είναι η ώρα για μια βελτιωμένη επανέκδοση του έργου! Ενός έργου που για το γνωστικό αντικείμενο που πραγματεύεται αποτελεί τον ορισμό του κλασικού!
Η έκδοση του Gutenberg είναι φροντισμένη και αποτελεί τεράστια προσφορά στην ελληνική εκδοτική παραγωγή. Υπάρχουν όμως δυο θέματα. Το πρώτο είναι η απουσία εικόνων των έργων που να συνδέονται οργανικά με το κείμενο. Όταν πχ ο συγγραφέας περιγράφει ένα έργο θα ήταν πολύ βοηθητικό εάν υπήρχε η εικόνα του έργου είτε ακριβώς δίπλα είτε με μια παραπομπή σε κάποιο άλλο σημείο ώστε να μπορεί ο αναγνώστης να παρακολουθήσει και να εκτίμησει καλύτερα το βάθος των περιγραφών και αναλύσεων του Winckelmann. Χωρίς αμφιβολία υπάρχουν πολλές φωτογραφίες έργων διάσπαρτες μέσα στο βιβλίο, οι οποίες όμως δεν έχουν άμεση σχέση με το κείμενο. Ένα πρότυπο και παράδειγμα προς μίμηση προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση θα μπορούσε να είναι η δουλειά που έχουν κάνει οι Εναλλακτικές εκδόσεις για το έργο του Κώστα Παπαϊωάννου 'Τέχνη και Πολιτισμός στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα'.
Το δεύτερο είναι ότι θα ήταν χρήσιμο για τον σημερινό αναγνώστη εάν υπήρχαν σημειώσεις και σχόλια που να διορθώνουν τις πιθανές ανακρίβειες του κειμένου με βάση την σύγχρονη γνώση μας που δεν θα μπορούσε φυσικά να διαθέτει ο Winckelmann στην εποχή του. Τώρα πιστεύω ότι είναι η ώρα για μια βελτιωμένη επανέκδοση του έργου! Ενός έργου που για το γνωστικό αντικείμενο που πραγματεύεται αποτελεί τον ορισμό του κλασικού!
December 8, 2020
This is a remarkable work; on its own terms, one would unhesitatingly give it five stars, and I have only refrained from that on the basis that, as a book to be read now, it does suffer somewhat as an aged work.
Winckelmann's scholarship, his thoroughness, his exhaustive pursuit both of ancient texts and of art works, and his innovative integration of history, philosophy and art criticism, are outstanding. Many elements of his critique quickly became orthodoxies in the discussion of art generally, but especially the art of ancient Greece and Rome. A good many are still considered respectable today.
The scale of his achievement is especially notable when it is recalled that he was writing around the middle of the eighteenth century when many of the works were only just being discovered and viewed as significant art. And it should not be forgotten that Winckelmann was the son of a cobbler and a weaver, and sought his own pathway through university study and then patronage, until the power of his analysis made him an acknowledged expert. As he wrote, he certainly showed an assurance in his ideas, revealing no sense of inferiority from his humble beginnings.
Much of Winckelmann's theory is built upon a rather rigid framework within which he described the art of classical Greece as moving from the necessary to the beautiful (simpler; grander; more refined; graceful) to the superficial. (He saw Hellenism as less pure, overrefined and elaborated).
One of his most enduring views is succinctly described by Alex Potts in his introduction to this volume, "in the end, the distinction he made between Greek and Roman art was vague and qualitative rather than stylistic, with all the finer, ideal work being categorised as Greek and work whose style or execution seemed in some way inferior generally being categorised as Roman." It has really only been in the last 50 years or so that this notion on the Greeks and Romans has been effectively challenged.
When he describes works which really appeal to him, Winckelmann's language is beautiful. He describes the Belvedere Heracles: "The artist will admire in the contours of this body the ever changing of one form into another and the gliding features that rise and fall like waves and are engulfed by one another….The bones seem clothed in a fleshy skin, the muscles are plump but without excess, and such a balanced fleshiness is found in no other figure."
Of the Laokoön, he writes, "As the pain swells his muscles and tenses his nerves, his fortitude of spirit and strength of mind are manifested in the distended brow. The chest strains upward with stifled breath and suppressed waves of feeling, so that the pain is contained and blocked within. The fearful groan he draws in and the breath he takes empty the abdomen and hollow out the sides, exposing to our view the movement of his entrails, as it were. Yet his own suffering seems to concern him less than the agony of his children, who turn their faces toward their father and cry out for help. The father's heart is manifested in the wistful eyes, and his compassion seems to float over them like a cloudy exhalation. His face is plaintive rather than agonised; his eyes turned toward the higher power. The mouth is full of sorrow, and the lowered bottom lip is heavy with it; in the upwardly drawn top lip, this sorrow is mixed with pain, which in the staring of discontent, as at an undeserved and unworthy suffering, runs up to the nose, swelling it and manifesting itself in the dilated and upwardly drawn nostrils."
And, of the Belvedere Apollo, "this Apollo surpasses all other images of him as much as the Apollo of Homer surpasses those betrayed by later poets. His build is elevated above the human, and his stance bears witness to the fullness of his grandeur. An eternal springtime, like that of the blissful Elysian Fields, clothes the alluring virility of mature years with a pleasing youth and plays with soft tenderness upon the lofty structure of his limbs. Go with thy spirit into the realm of incorporeal beauties and seek to become a creator of a heavenly nature, so that the spirit might be filled with beauties that rise above nature – for here there is nothing mortal, nothing that betokens miserable humanity. No veins or sinews heat and move this body, but rather a heavenly spirit that, flowing like a gentle stream, has saturated, as it were, every contour of this figure."
Mind you, for all of the high poeticism of these descriptions, his denunciations of writers with whom he disagrees are peremptory and blunt: "… previous treatises on ancient clothing have been more learned than instructive and specific, and thus an artist, having read them, would be less knowledgeable than before. Such writings are compiled by individuals whose knowledge comes only from books, not from visual acquaintance with works of art." (It is worth pointing out that Winckelmann's own descriptions of the representation of fabric are remarkably perceptive in their minute analysis.)
He dismisses one Malvasia, "a historian of the Bolognese painters and a man without taste."
From the distance of some centuries, we can be amused by some of his outmoded attempts at science: "Even the parts of the genitals have their special beauty. Of the testicles, the left one is always larger, as it is found in nature."
"The Campanians were a people in whom the mild climate that they enjoyed and the fertile soil that they cultivated instilled voluptuousness." And, "… the warmer the region of Italy, the greater the talents that it fosters, and the more fiery the imagination: the Sicilian poets are full of rare, new and unexpected images. Yet this fiery imagination is not angry and ebullient; rather, like the temperament of the people and the weather of this land, it is more uniform than in colder countries – for nature gives rise to an auspicious phlegm here (in Italy) more often than there." It is surely the case that, in three hundred years, many of our own assumptions will have become ludicrously quaint.
This edition of Winckelmann contains a valuable 36 page introduction by Potts, and the text itself is of 240 pages, each densely printed. The quality of the whole production is consistently impressive. There is a great joy to be had from reading this most erudite and challenging of pathfinders.
Winckelmann's scholarship, his thoroughness, his exhaustive pursuit both of ancient texts and of art works, and his innovative integration of history, philosophy and art criticism, are outstanding. Many elements of his critique quickly became orthodoxies in the discussion of art generally, but especially the art of ancient Greece and Rome. A good many are still considered respectable today.
The scale of his achievement is especially notable when it is recalled that he was writing around the middle of the eighteenth century when many of the works were only just being discovered and viewed as significant art. And it should not be forgotten that Winckelmann was the son of a cobbler and a weaver, and sought his own pathway through university study and then patronage, until the power of his analysis made him an acknowledged expert. As he wrote, he certainly showed an assurance in his ideas, revealing no sense of inferiority from his humble beginnings.
Much of Winckelmann's theory is built upon a rather rigid framework within which he described the art of classical Greece as moving from the necessary to the beautiful (simpler; grander; more refined; graceful) to the superficial. (He saw Hellenism as less pure, overrefined and elaborated).
One of his most enduring views is succinctly described by Alex Potts in his introduction to this volume, "in the end, the distinction he made between Greek and Roman art was vague and qualitative rather than stylistic, with all the finer, ideal work being categorised as Greek and work whose style or execution seemed in some way inferior generally being categorised as Roman." It has really only been in the last 50 years or so that this notion on the Greeks and Romans has been effectively challenged.
When he describes works which really appeal to him, Winckelmann's language is beautiful. He describes the Belvedere Heracles: "The artist will admire in the contours of this body the ever changing of one form into another and the gliding features that rise and fall like waves and are engulfed by one another….The bones seem clothed in a fleshy skin, the muscles are plump but without excess, and such a balanced fleshiness is found in no other figure."
Of the Laokoön, he writes, "As the pain swells his muscles and tenses his nerves, his fortitude of spirit and strength of mind are manifested in the distended brow. The chest strains upward with stifled breath and suppressed waves of feeling, so that the pain is contained and blocked within. The fearful groan he draws in and the breath he takes empty the abdomen and hollow out the sides, exposing to our view the movement of his entrails, as it were. Yet his own suffering seems to concern him less than the agony of his children, who turn their faces toward their father and cry out for help. The father's heart is manifested in the wistful eyes, and his compassion seems to float over them like a cloudy exhalation. His face is plaintive rather than agonised; his eyes turned toward the higher power. The mouth is full of sorrow, and the lowered bottom lip is heavy with it; in the upwardly drawn top lip, this sorrow is mixed with pain, which in the staring of discontent, as at an undeserved and unworthy suffering, runs up to the nose, swelling it and manifesting itself in the dilated and upwardly drawn nostrils."
And, of the Belvedere Apollo, "this Apollo surpasses all other images of him as much as the Apollo of Homer surpasses those betrayed by later poets. His build is elevated above the human, and his stance bears witness to the fullness of his grandeur. An eternal springtime, like that of the blissful Elysian Fields, clothes the alluring virility of mature years with a pleasing youth and plays with soft tenderness upon the lofty structure of his limbs. Go with thy spirit into the realm of incorporeal beauties and seek to become a creator of a heavenly nature, so that the spirit might be filled with beauties that rise above nature – for here there is nothing mortal, nothing that betokens miserable humanity. No veins or sinews heat and move this body, but rather a heavenly spirit that, flowing like a gentle stream, has saturated, as it were, every contour of this figure."
Mind you, for all of the high poeticism of these descriptions, his denunciations of writers with whom he disagrees are peremptory and blunt: "… previous treatises on ancient clothing have been more learned than instructive and specific, and thus an artist, having read them, would be less knowledgeable than before. Such writings are compiled by individuals whose knowledge comes only from books, not from visual acquaintance with works of art." (It is worth pointing out that Winckelmann's own descriptions of the representation of fabric are remarkably perceptive in their minute analysis.)
He dismisses one Malvasia, "a historian of the Bolognese painters and a man without taste."
From the distance of some centuries, we can be amused by some of his outmoded attempts at science: "Even the parts of the genitals have their special beauty. Of the testicles, the left one is always larger, as it is found in nature."
"The Campanians were a people in whom the mild climate that they enjoyed and the fertile soil that they cultivated instilled voluptuousness." And, "… the warmer the region of Italy, the greater the talents that it fosters, and the more fiery the imagination: the Sicilian poets are full of rare, new and unexpected images. Yet this fiery imagination is not angry and ebullient; rather, like the temperament of the people and the weather of this land, it is more uniform than in colder countries – for nature gives rise to an auspicious phlegm here (in Italy) more often than there." It is surely the case that, in three hundred years, many of our own assumptions will have become ludicrously quaint.
This edition of Winckelmann contains a valuable 36 page introduction by Potts, and the text itself is of 240 pages, each densely printed. The quality of the whole production is consistently impressive. There is a great joy to be had from reading this most erudite and challenging of pathfinders.
March 19, 2022
While it’s on the list of must-read books for anyone studying art history, I'd recommend it for those whose interests center on:
- ancient Greek and Roman art
- archeology
- sculpture and architecture
Keep in mind, however, that since Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity was published in 1764, there are a few things that will make it difficult to read:
- dated and formal language (nothing to worry about for art historians who are used to that)
- the fact that some of the best known masterpieces of antiquity – like Venus de Milo (discovered 1820) or the Riace bronzes (discovered in the 70’s) – aren’t discussed in Winckelmann’s work for obvious reasons
- ancient Greek and Roman art
- archeology
- sculpture and architecture
Keep in mind, however, that since Winckelmann’s History of the Art of Antiquity was published in 1764, there are a few things that will make it difficult to read:
- dated and formal language (nothing to worry about for art historians who are used to that)
- the fact that some of the best known masterpieces of antiquity – like Venus de Milo (discovered 1820) or the Riace bronzes (discovered in the 70’s) – aren’t discussed in Winckelmann’s work for obvious reasons
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews