Description
What can modern art have to do with ancient sculpture? Surely the excitement of modern art lies in its utter repudiation of classical example? Elizabeth Prettejohn's important and revisionist new book argues otherwise: that ancient sculpture and modern art have been in constant dialogue since Johann Joachim Winckelmann invented the modern discipline of art history. It shows how ancient sculptures could inspire artists such as Rodin, Leighton or Picasso, and how modern artworks could help to interpret sculptors such as Pheidias and Praxiteles. The Modernity of Ancient Sculpture will have strong appeal to students of modern art and the classics alike.
What can modern art have to do with ancient sculpture? Surely the excitement of modern art lies in its repudiation of classical example? Elizabeth Prettejohn's important and revisionist new book argues otherwise: that ancient sculpture and modern art have been in constant dialogue since Johann Joachim Winckelmann invented art history.
About the Author
Elizabeth Prettejohn formerly Professor of History of Art at the University of Bristol, is now Professor of History of Art at the University of York. Her books include The Art of the Pre- Raphaelites (2000), Beauty and Art 1750-2000 (2005) and Art for Art's Sake: Aestheticism in Victorian Painting (2007). She has co-curated major International exhibitions on Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1996-97), Dante Gabriel Rossetti (2003-04) and John William Waterhouse (2008-10).
Reviews
Never less than persuasive, in the subtlety and accessibility of its visual or verbal analyses, the book includes revelatory ideas on almost every page.' - Jason Edwards, Reader in the History of Art, University of York 'This is a wonderful book. It commands, with enviable ease, both ancient and modern data, and moves seamlessly and to excellent effect between evocative description and theoretical criticism. This is a book which any graduate student starting to work on ancient art will in future have to read. It is fundamentally enlightening about the way in which sculpture has been studied - and about what it is to study sculpture. It is certainly a book that the exhibition-going public and the serious visitor to the British Museum (or indeed to English country houses with classical sculpture collections) ought to read as well. It manages to be repeatedly eye-opening.' - Robin Osborne, Professor of Ancient History, University of Cambridge
Book Information
ISBN 9781848859036
Author Elizabeth Prettejohn
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint I.B. Tauris
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 494g
What can modern art have to do with ancient sculpture? Surely the excitement of modern art lies in its repudiation of classical example? Elizabeth Prettejohn's important and revisionist new book argues otherwise: that ancient sculpture and modern art have been in constant dialogue since Johann Joachim Winckelmann invented art history.
About the Author
Elizabeth Prettejohn formerly Professor of History of Art at the University of Bristol, is now Professor of History of Art at the University of York. Her books include The Art of the Pre- Raphaelites (2000), Beauty and Art 1750-2000 (2005) and Art for Art's Sake: Aestheticism in Victorian Painting (2007). She has co-curated major International exhibitions on Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1996-97), Dante Gabriel Rossetti (2003-04) and John William Waterhouse (2008-10).
Reviews
Never less than persuasive, in the subtlety and accessibility of its visual or verbal analyses, the book includes revelatory ideas on almost every page.' - Jason Edwards, Reader in the History of Art, University of York 'This is a wonderful book. It commands, with enviable ease, both ancient and modern data, and moves seamlessly and to excellent effect between evocative description and theoretical criticism. This is a book which any graduate student starting to work on ancient art will in future have to read. It is fundamentally enlightening about the way in which sculpture has been studied - and about what it is to study sculpture. It is certainly a book that the exhibition-going public and the serious visitor to the British Museum (or indeed to English country houses with classical sculpture collections) ought to read as well. It manages to be repeatedly eye-opening.' - Robin Osborne, Professor of Ancient History, University of Cambridge
Book Information
ISBN 9781848859036
Author Elizabeth Prettejohn
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint I.B. Tauris
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 494g
