Roman Eyes: Visuality and Subjectivity in Art and Text

(Hardback)

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Description

Seeks to understand the multiple ways that art in ancient Rome formulated the very conditions for its own viewing, and as a result was complicit in the construction of subjectivity in the Roman Empire. This book examines the different contexts in which images were used, from the religious to the voyeuristic, from the domestic to the subversive.

Reviews

"This volume is and will remain a significant contribution to the discourse on Roman art. What it does, it does admirably although it clings tenaciously to a single approach with its own limitations. It is useful as one piece of a complex puzzle about the intentions and reception of art."--Diana E. E. Kleiner, International Journal of the Classical Tradition "The handsomely produced book ... [is] sure to do much to shift the parameters of Roman 'art history' even further and to enrich its discussion."--Peter Stewart, Art History "[V]ery well and clearly written ... and well presented... Roman Eyes in particular counts as a bargain these days."--Victor Castellani, European Legacy "A book that is largely a collection of previously published papers runs the risk of presenting a disjointed argument. But that is not the case here. Elsner's revisions have provided a complex, but coherent argument that explores the act of viewing in the GrecoRoman world and makes a number of important observations. The interweaving of text and image, the exploration of cult practice and the discussion of private art in its context means that the book will be of interest to more than those interested in art history. It deserves to find a prominent place in collections dealing with Roman material culture."--John Geyssen, Phoenix

Author Bio

Jas Elsner is Humfry Payne Senior Research Fellow in Classical Archaeology at Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford, and Visiting Professor of Art History at the University of Chicago. His books include "Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph" and "Art and the Roman Viewer".