Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire AD 100-450Western culture saw some of the most significant and innovative developments take place during the passage from antiquity to the middle ages. This stimulating new book investigates the role of the visual arts as both reflections and agents of those changes. It tackles two inter-related periodsof internal transformation within the Roman Empire: the phenomenon known as the 'Second Sophistic' (c. ad 100300)two centuries of self-conscious and enthusiastic hellenism, and the era of late antiquity (c. ad 250450) when the empire underwent a religious conversion to Christianity. Vases, murals, statues, and masonry are explored in relation to such issues as power, death, society, acculturation, and religion. By examining questions of reception, viewing, and the culture of spectacle alongside the more traditional art-historical themes of imperial patronage and stylisticchange, Jas Elsner presents a fresh and challenging account of an extraordinarily rich cultural crucible in which many fundamental developments of later European art had their origins. 'a highly individual work . . . wonderful visual and comparative analysis . . . I can think of no other general book on Roman art that deals so elegantly and informatively with the theme of visuality and visual desire.' Professor Natalie Boymel Kampen, Barnard College, New York 'exciting and original . . . a vibrant impression of creative energy and innovation held in constant tension by the persistence of more traditional motifs and techniques. Elsner constantly surprises and intrigues the reader by approaching familiar material in new ways.' Professor Averil Cameron,Keble College, Oxford |
From inside the book
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Contents
Introduction I | 1 |
A Visual Culture | 27 |
Art and Imperial Power | 53 |
Art and Social Life | 91 |
Art and Death | 145 |
IMAGES AND TRANSFORMATION | 167 |
Art and Religion | 199 |
Cost Value and the Discourse of Art | 239 |
Afterword Some Futures of Christian Art | 251 |
Notes | 260 |
Bibliographic Essay | 278 |
Other editions - View all
Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire AD 100-450 Jaś Elsner No preview available - 1998 |
Common terms and phrases
Adamklissi altar ancient apse Arch of Constantine Architecture artists Augustus Basilica Baths Baths of Caracalla bibliography bronze Byzantine C.AD Callistratus Cambridge Caracalla carved Catacomb centre chariot Christ Christian art church circus Classical column Constantinople context death decoration depicted Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Diocletian Dionysus early Christian early third century Elagabalus élite Elsner emperor empire's Ephesus example fifth century figures Forum fourth century frieze funerary Galerius Graeco-Roman Greece Greek Hadrian Hadrian's Villa Hercules icon iconography identity imagery images imperial cult inscription ivory late antiquity Lepcis London Lucian Marble Marcus Aurelius mausoleum monument Museum mythological myths narrative Oxford pagan paintings panel Pausanias Photo Piazza Armerina portrait Praxiteles relief religion religious represented rituals Roman art Roman culture Roman Empire Roman world Rome sacred sarcophagus scene scripture Sculpture second century Second Sophistic Septimius Severus shows social statue style surviving temple tetrarchs themes Theodosius traditional Trajan transformation translation viewers Villa visual