Greek Art A&I (Art and Ideas) - Softcover

Spivey, Nigel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0714833681 ISBN 13: 9780714833682

Publisher: Phaidon Press, 1997

Synopsis

A lively, colourful survey of Greek art from the eighth to the second century BC which contains many beautiful pictures. Under the chapter headings of the origins of Greek art, myth in early art, art of the Greek colonies and sanctuaries, art in the age of Pericles, temple sculptures, art and Greek drama and Alexander's impact on art the whole range of artefacts is discussed from vases and architecture to kouroi and frescoes. Throughout Spivey considers how art was inextricably bound up with the political, religious and social circumstances of the period, from the early influence of Minoan and Mycenean art, through the effect of Athenian democracy to the consequences of the empire building of Alexander the Great.

About this title

About the Author:

Nigel Spivey, a scholar of Greek, Etruscan and Roman art, lectures in Classical Archaeology at Cambridge University, where he is also a fellow of Emmanuel College. He is the author of Understanding Greek Sculpture and Etruscan Art.

From Publishers Weekly:

With its new introductory art history series, Art & Ideas, Phaidon tries to find a foothold in a market already crowded by such series as Thames & Hudson's World of Art, Yale's Pelican History of Art and more recently Oxford's History of Art. Spivey, a journalist and lecturer in classical archeology at Cambridge, offers a wide-ranging, if usually dry, narrative of both the art and the cultural, political, social and religious institutions that formed it. In eight chapters, Spivey covers such territory as the prehistory of the Greek civilization and its roots in Mycenaean culture, the importance of myth, the creation of the polis (city-state), the development of theater, the "colossal" impression made by Alexander the Great and how all these elements made an impact on the development of the art of the period. He supports theories by using quotes from philosophers, weaving tales from the classic epics and providing pertinent historical facts. Relevant terms and concepts are explained and illuminated, and almost every spread in the book comes complete with an illustrated example of the art being discussed, making for nearly 200 photographs and illustrations in all. Although it is consistent with an introductory art history textbook, the admirably concise summary of the art and its context may find readers among travelers and others interested in a brief overview.

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0714833681
• ISBN 13: 9780714833682
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448