Greek Vases in New Contexts: The Collecting and Trading of Greek Vases - An Aspect of the Modern Reception of Antiquity

by: Norskov, V.

Price: 69,00 EURO

1 copy in stock

Ever since 1764, when Johan Winckelmann compared the drawings on them to the work of Renaissance masters, ancient Greek vases have been among antiquity's most widely collected artefacts. But while recent scholarly interest in the nature of collecting has inspired several studies of individual 18th century vase collections, a broad survey of contemporary activity has been lacking.

This volume examines the developments in Greek vase collecting and trading since World War II. The author employs two approaches to her subject: case studies of eight major museum collections, and analysis of auction catalogues and dealer publications listing 18,000 Greek vases between 1954 and 1998.

A detailed historical narrative, beginning with the early Renaissance, provides a helpful introduction to the field. Several noteworthy trends emerge. At the beginning of the collecting up until the postwar period, excavations and what they offered the market played the dominant role in the collecting of ancient vases, but in the last 50 years curators, and what they choose to purchase and display, have come to the forefront.

A major scholarly shift in the 1960s increased the gap between the collections of museums, which adopted the new contextual approach, and those of private individuals, who still favour an aestetic approach.

The growing curatorial emphasis on context also lent weight to emerging ethical concerns, as the relation between non-provenanced objects and the destruction of archaeological sites became an international issue. Connoisseurs, curators and archaeologists will all find much intriguing material here, as will scholars in the fields of collecting and museum studies."

In Appendix B (p. 353), the total number of each type of vase is erroneous. Errata may be obtained from the Aarhus University Press.

"In addition to her examination of eight specific collections and their development since World War II, Nørskov's book provides a useful survey of the history of collecting Greek vases from the Renaissance ... to the 18th century ... To back up her findings, Nørskov's attractively produced book has an extensive apparatus of color diagrams, charts, and three appendices, which record interviews with museum curators, annual listings of vases by type on the art market from 1954 to 1998 and the 172 most expensive vases sold at auction between 1969 and 2000."
Jenifer Neils in Art Bulletin

Greek Vases in New Contexts: The Collecting and Trading of Greek Vases - An Aspect of the Modern Reception of Antiquity

by: Norskov, V.

• ISBN-13: 9788772888866 / 978-87-7288-886-6
• ISBN-03: 8772888865 / 87-7288-886-5
• Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, 2002

Price: 69,00 EURO

1 copy in stock