Art and Experience in Classical Greece | 
 enlarge | Author: Jerome Jordan Pollitt
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $26.99
Buy New: $1.99
You Save: $25.00 (93%)
New (25) Used (73) from $1.77
Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 373948
Media: Paperback
Pages: 205
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 7.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0521096626
Dewey Decimal Number: 709.38
EAN: 9780521096621
ASIN: 0521096626
Publication Date: March 10, 1972
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Ships next business day from NY
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
An account of the development of Greek art in the Classical period (about 480-320 BC) which places particular emphasis on the meaning and content of Greek sculpture, architecture and painting. Professor Pollitt reminds us that the visual arts in Greece, as elsewhere, were primarily vehicles of expression. He does not ignore formal development but always relates this to social and cultural history, which it reflected and from which it grew. While his subject is art, he refers frequently to the literature and philosophy of the period which were shaped by the same influences.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Authoritative introduction August 15, 2003
Nom de Guerre (Berkeley, CA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
J.J. Pollitt is one of the most respected scholars of ancient Greek art, and with good reason. His analyses are clear, well-written, cautious, and highly logical. Art and Experience is a classic (!) work of Pollitt's early career. It is an authoritative and engaging introduction to the history of art in ancient Greece, focusing on the Classical period (fifth and fourth centuries BC). The book assumes a general familiarity with some ancient history, philosophy, and literature, so it might be most useful for students or enthusiasts of classical culture who feel that their understanding of classical art is lacking. Nonetheless, the text is introductory enough that even a reader with no background in classics could find the book interesting and informative.brWhat makes this book a particularly valuable introduction to Greek art is that it aims to explain the motives and ideas behind the art rather than to provide the reader with a list of works and names of styles. Pollitt answers the question of why Classical Greek art looks like it does, and he thus gives his reader a framework for understanding individual works.brI can level only two criticisms at the book, and they are both relatively picky. The first is that, because of the brevity of the book and its intended non-specialist audience, some of Pollitt's conclusions seem to me like logical leaps, and some of his arguments seem too summary to be fully convincing. I would have preferred a more comprehensive treatment with fuller explanations--something along the lines of Paul Zanker's Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. As an introduction, however, the extent of the arguments in Art and Experience is sufficient. My second criticism is that Pollitt at times reveals more personal value judgements regarding the art of ancient Greece than I thought were necessary or appropriate. This is no doubt in part the product of the period in which the book was written, when value judgement still played some role in the teaching of art history (it has since largely been abandoned). It also may relate to the intended audience: I am sure that some readers will be interested to hear what traditional considerations have made art historians consider certain works to be great. At the same time, readers should be wary of Pollitt's negative statements about some of the art (e.g., Hellenistic sculptures of children). The value of such art has recently been reevaluated by many art historians, including Pollitt himself, and the works do not deserve the dismissive tone apparent in Art and Experience.brOn a final note, readers should keep in mind that this book is intended to cover only a brief (though significant) period in the history of ancient Greek art. Because of its scope, this book does not provide a grand tour of all famous Greek art--works like the Nike (or Winged Victory) of Samothrace are not covered. While Art and Experience is a great way to begin an exploration of the art and culture of ancient Greece, for a full picture one must consult additional sources. I highly recommend following Art and Experience with Pollitt's masterful (and more scholarly, though still quite accessible) Art in the Hellenistic Age.
Excellent overview of Greek art May 6, 2003
Cynthia S. Froning (Longmont, CO United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Knowing little of Greek art, I happened upon this book in my shelves (an old college textbook belonging to my husband). I was pleased and impressed with this overview of Classical Greek art. Pollitt covers the main strands of development in architecture, sculpture, and painting and places the works firmly in the context of the historical events and cultural atmosphere of their times. As a result, I came away with an increased appreciation and understanding of the quality and value of Classical Greek art and of the interconnection between art and larger society in ancient Greece.
Profound Beauty...Insight...Enrichment... September 2, 2001
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
[let this man speak for himself...]brA thoughtful observer of these events, likebrAeschylus, could not but have felt uneasiness.brWere the Greek cities and the factions withinbrthem being drawn, through their quest for powerbreven at the expenses of principle, into thebrcycle of *hybris*, *ate*, and *nemesis* whichbrthey themselves had seen in the undoing of thebrPersians? In a world where Zeus punished br*hybris*, where men reaped the fruits of theirbrown actions, were they sowing the seeds of brtheir own downfall?br ...be mindful, men of Greece and Athens,br lest one among you, disdaining in his br mind the fortune of the present, andbr lusting after more, waste the great br blessings he has...brthe ghost of Darius had said in the *Persians.*brThese fears, and with them the vivid memorybrof what destruction actually means (particularlybrin Athens,which had been sacked and ruined bybrthe Persians) must have been strong motivatingbrforces in the creation of the serious andbrmeditative character of so much Early Classicalbrart. The Aspasia, the Charioteer of Delphi,brand even the very early Blond Boy from thebrAthenian acropolis all seem to be attempts tobrembody the ideals of thoughtful restraint andbrresponsibility which the Greeks were so frequentlybrprone to forget. (pp. 26-27)br * * *br The fallen warrior [sculpture] from the eastbrpediment [of the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina] isbranother matter. As life ebbs away and he sinks brtoward the earth, he tries futilely, sword (nowbrmissing) in hand, to raise himself. His eyesbrnarrow as his consciousness fades; his mouth isbrslightly open as his breathing grows difficult; brhe stares at the earth. His enfeebled movementsbrcontrast poignantly with his massive physicalbrframe in which, for practically the first time,brthe individual details of the musculature arebrfused and unified by a softening of the linesbrof division between them, and by increasinglybrsubtle modulation of the surface from which onebrsenses the presence of a unified physical forcebremanating from within the body. The sculptorbrwho conceived the figure had obviously thoughtbrcarefully about exactly what it meant. He must brhave asked himself what it must really be like brwhen a powerful warrior is wounded and falls.brWhat does he feel? How should we feel? Andbrwhat meaning is there in our feeling? (pp.19-20)br * * * * * * * * *br There are irritations in this work...amidst thebrriches. Pollitt seems to find no inspiration inbrthe *Diskobolos* statue by Myron at all...devotesbrlittle space to it except to mention its rhythmos,brbut, incredibly, nothing about its beauty and thebridealization of the harmonic development of thebrmusculature of the male body by an athlete.br And Pollitt has the bias of reason and brrationality as the supposed prime virtues ofbrGreek thought and art...over the mystical.brYet, if divine inspiration of poets andbrartists is not a mystical experience, thenbrwhat is? And the Greeks certainly seem tobrhave subscribed to that belief early on.br * * * * * * * * *
A superb book and a classic in its own right July 12, 1998
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Pollitt's book is one of those rare pieces of writing that rewards you with fresh insight each and every time you pick it up. It is beautifully and sensitively written, and manages to breathe remarkable life into the civilization of ancient Greece. This is a wonderful way to prepare for a trip to Greece--it will only make your travels even more rewarding. This is history at its best.
|
|
|
