Originally published as the author's doctoral thesis, University of Amsterdam, 2017. Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-298) and indexes.
Summary:
All Athenian black-figure vases, unique masterpieces as well as mass-produced vases, reflect the conventions of Athenian pictorial language. The starting point for this study is that knowledge of this pictorial language provides a better comprehension of the meaning of the representations. Athenians in the 6th century BCE knew its conventions intimately, and one can assume they could easily understand vase-paintings because a few elements or a specific combination of elements were sufficient for them to identify the whole picture. The modern viewer, however, can only approach the intuitive knowledge of the ancient viewer by studying and analysing the surviving images. This study focuses on mass-produced vases, because large numbers provide vital statistical evidence for understanding the meaning of gestures, attributes, and other details, which makes it possible to deduce the rules of Athenian pictorial language and to recognise what is usual and normal, or unusual and exceptional. The methodology is demonstrated in an introductory case study of the type scene "Fighting men separated". Since the visual artists' use of pictorial language resembles the way in which in oral poetry a singer tells the story by using type scenes, formulaic verses, and epitheta ornantia while adding, omitting, or varying details and names, in this study terms are used that are borrowed from literary studies of Homer's oral poetry like type scene (the compositional schema or general arrangement of a depiction), subtypes, and typical elements (e.g., figure types, attributes, gestures, and other details).
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