Hellenistic and Roman Ideal Sculpture: The Allure of the Classical

by Rachel Meredith Kousser

Overview

In this book, Rachel Kousser draws on contemporary reception theory to present a new approach to Hellenistic and Roman ideal sculpture. She analyzes the Romans’ preference for retrospective, classicizing statuary based on Greek models as opposed to the innovative creations prized by modern scholars. Using a case study of a particular sculptural type, a forceful yet erotic image of Venus, Kousser argues that the Romans self-consciously employed such sculptures to represent their ties to the past in a rapidly evolving world. Kousser presents Hellenistic and Roman ideal sculpture as an example of a highly effective artistic tradition that was, by modern standards, extraordinarily conservative. At the same time, the Romans’ flexible and opportunistic use of past forms also had important implications for the future: it constituted the origins of classicism in Western art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521877824
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/09/2008
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rachel Kousser is Assistant Professor of Ancient Art at Brooklyn College and a member of the doctoral faculty at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She has received fellowships from the Mellon Foundation, the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin, the Romish-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz, the PSC-CUNY Research Foundation, and the American Numismatic Society. She has contributed several articles to the American Journal of Archaeology.

Table of Contents

1. Creating the past: the origins of classicism in Hellenistic sculpture; 2. From Greece to Rome: retrospective sculpture in the early empire; 3. From metropolis to empire: retrospective sculpture in the high empire; 4. From Roman to Christian: retrospection and transformation in late antique art.

Editorial Reviews

Kousser demonstrates how careful iconographic analysis of the material can be insightful and help us understand better the importance of sculpture in specific contexts.” – Bryn Mawr Classical Review

“This book is an in-depth examination of a widespread visual motif in ancient art, most famously represented by the Capua Venus and the Victory of Brescia. Kousser presents many intelligent and thought-provoking interpretations of individual works.” – Classical Journal Online

From the Publisher