John Howard Oakley

Wonderfully preserved Greek vases are a unique source of information about the mythology, religion, drama and daily l ife of the ancient Greek world. This sumptuous photographic book offers a superb visual introduction to the artistry of ancient Greek vases , exploring them not merely as beautiful vessels to bear water and wine, but also as instruments of storytelling and bearers of meaning. Presenting the vases and the ir imagery in their full narrative glory, The Greek Vase interprets the ir forms and stories along a variety of themes, from the adventures of gods and mythological heroes, to expressive scenes of sexual intimacy and depictions of social, family and domestic life. Throughout, the text highlights what these pictures would have meant to the people who lived with and used them, how they have been received by later generations , and the profound influence of their form, decoration and narrative on subsequent art, architecture and literature.

The Art of the Storyteller

The Greek Vase

Rebecca H. Sinos

"The Wedding in Ancient Athens is the first book to reconstruct the stages of the ancient Greek wedding ceremony using a long-neglected source of information: vase paintings from the sixth through fourth centuries B.C." "In order to elucidate the entire ceremony, from the preparations for the wedding to the rituals performed on the day after the wedding night, John H. Oakley and Rebecca H. Sinos incorporate copious illustrations of Athenian vases in their analysis, supplementing evidence drawn from contemporary Greek literature. The weddings rendered on the vases evolve through time, from formal scenes of the wedding procession on black-figure vases to later red-figure scenes offering more intimate views of the bride as she prepares her adornments. In these later scenes, the authors point out, Greek women appear as more than just passive objects of men's manipulations; they possess their own powerful and divinely sanctioned means of seduction." "The evidence of wedding scenes on vases of both eras is valuable for several reasons. Some vases depict aspects of the wedding that are not clearly portrayed in literature, thus supplying a better understanding of each stage of the ceremony. Vases also offer insight into Athenian attitudes toward the wedding, suggesting a perspective different from that provided by Greek literature. The book includes scenes that represent real life, scenes that are clearly mythological, and also some tableaux that blur the distinction between mortals and gods or heroes, suggesting the idealized state in which mortals appeared when engaged in rituals with divine prototypes." "The Wedding in Ancient Athens is as enjoyable as it is informative. Oakley and Sinos thoroughly explore Athenian wedding iconography and interpret it so that the ceremony can be appreciated by a modern audience."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The Wedding in Ancient Athens

Jenifer Neils

Lesley A. Beaumont

Stephen John Morewitz

Katherine Hart

What was childhood like in ancient Greece? What activities and games did Greek children embrace? How were they schooled and what religious and ceremonial rites of passage were key to their development? These fascinating questions and many more are answered in this groundbreaking book--the first English-language study to feature and discuss imagery and artifacts relating to childhood in ancient Greece.Coming of Age in Ancient Greece shows that the Greeks were the first culture to represent children and their activities naturalistically in their art. Here we learn about depictions of children in myth as well as life, from infancy to adolescence. This beautifully illustrated book features such archaeological artifacts as toys and gaming pieces alongside images of them in use by children on ancient vases, coins, terracotta figurines, bronze and stone sculpture, and marble grave monuments. Essays by eminent scholars in the fields of Greek social history, literature, archaeology, anthropology, and art history discuss a wide range of topics, including the burgeoning role of childhood studies in interdisciplinary studies; the status of children in Greek culture; the evolution of attitudes toward children from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period as documented by literature and art; the relationships of fathers and sons and mothers and daughters; and the roles of cult practice and death in a child's existence.This delightful book illuminates what is most universal and specific about childhood in ancient Greece and examines childhood's effects on Greek life and culture, the foundation on which Western civilization has been based.

Images of Childhood from the Classical Past

Coming of Age in Ancient Greece

This richly illustrated volume offers a fascinating introduction to ancient Greek vases for the general reader. It presents vases not merely as beautiful vessels to hold water and wine, but also as instruments of storytelling and bearers of meaning. The first two chapters analyze the development of different shapes of pottery and relate those shapes to function, the evolution in vase production techniques and decoration, and the roles of potters, painters, and their workshops. Subsequent chapters focus on vases as the primary source of imagery from ancient Greece, offering unique information about mythology, religion, theater, and daily life. The author discusses how to identify the figures and scenes depicted in vase paintings, what these narratives would have meant to the people who lived with them and used them, and how they therefore reflect the cultural values of their time. Also examined is the impact Greek vases had on the art, architecture, and literature of subsequent generations. Based on the rich collections of the British Museum and the J. Paul Getty Museum, the exquisite details of the works offer the reader the opportunity for an intimate interaction with the graphic beauty and narrative power of ancient vases often not available in a gallery setting.

John Howard Oakley

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