Storia Oxford dell'arte classica

by John Boardman

"Questo volume è stato concepito come integrazione alla "Oxford History of the Classical World", per un pubblico interessato sia all'antichità classica in sé, sia a ciò che ha lasciato in eredità al mondo occidentale. L'intento non è stato quello di fornire un resoconto di tipo storico, né una categorizzazione delle arti, corredati da qualche riproduzione; piuttosto si è puntato a coinvolgere l'attenzione del lettore tramite un utilizzo più diretto di fotografie di oggetti e monumenti, sperando in tal modo di guidarlo a comprendere il significato e il rilievo che hanno avuto per lo sviluppo di un linguaggio la cui cifra ricorrente fu il cambiamento." (dalla Prefazione all'edizione inglese)

Genres: Art, Art History, History, Nonfiction, Greece, Reference

407 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Paige McLoughlin]

I read a lot of Greco-Roman classical history in the past, so forgive me if I skimmed a bit and just enjoyed the art in this one. The erotic nature of the Greeks and the somewhat more restrained concupiscence of the Romans definitely show through in their art. As an open bisexual, I get the appeal. I remember as a kid learning about the Romans; it was the engineering that got me interested. As an adult, the art calls to me. Definitely worth a look, especially if one wants to get beyond the monumental fascism and spectacle aspects of the ancient world.

[Nicole]

Decent overview but the last segment was a mess both chronologically and argument wise. Reiterating some old art history narratives that are a bit colonial centric and outdated now, but not a bad read overall. Just very slow going even for someone like myself (with a MSt in Archaeology). Pretty pictures but lots of flipping around because they’re never near the text. Want to give it 3 stars but I’m feeling accomplished at finally finishing the hefty tome!

[Kate]

A selected encyclopedia of Greek and Roman art and architecture, arranged by era. Unfortunately, each entry is too short and lacking in detail to be of much help, other than to serve as a quick reminder of why a selected work might be significant. Though the contributors are among my favorite writers on Greek art and the illustrations are of high quality, I'd rather read in-depth works by Boardman, RRR Smith, and others. My quibbles are with the format rather than the quality of the work.

[Anshin]

Molto interessante e costruttivo.
Per alcune opere l'ho trovato troppo riassuntivo (dove invece mi sarebbero piaciute spiegazioni più prolisse).
In generale si tratta di un buon manuale complessivo di Archeologia Classica.

[Sarah]

Getting a bit outdated now, but it's from Oxford, so it hardly matters. Great collection of Classical Art.

[Susan Molloy]

Required reading for one of my ancient art classes in college.

Review: Useful resource for study. I enjoyed this.