The Diffusion of Classical Art in Antiquity - by John Boardman (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From one of the world's leading authorities on ancient Greek art, a groundbreaking account of how Greek images were understood and used by other ancient peoples, from Britain to China

In this book, acclaimed archaeologist and art historian John Boardman explores Greek art as a foreign art transmitted to the non-Greeks of antiquity--peoples who weren't necessarily able to judge the meaning of Greek art and who may have regarded the Greeks themselves with great hostility. Boardman examines how and why the arts of the classical world traveled and to what effect, from Britain to China, from roughly the eighth century BCE to the early centuries CE. In some places, such as Italy, Greek images were overwhelmingly successful. In Egypt, the Celtic world, the eastern steppes, and other regions with strong local traditions, they were never effectively assimilated. And in cultures where there was a subtler blend of influences, notably in the Buddhist east, classical images served as a catalyst to the generation of new styles. Along the way, Boardman demonstrates that looking at Greek art from the outside provides a wealth of new insights into Greek art itself, and he raises important questions about how images in general are copied and reinterpreted.

Review Quotes

"[An] elegantly written book."-- "Bryn Mawr Classical Review"

"[The] familiarity and confidence with which Boardman discusses the vast array of monuments considered here is impressive."-- "American Journal of Archaeology"

"Boardman's subject is not so much what Greek art meant to the Greeks and to foreigners but how it moved through the world. . . . Anyone curious about ancient cultures will find it absorbing."---Kenneth Baker, San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle

About the Author

John Boardman is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford's Classical Art Research Centre. He is Professor Emeritus of Classical Art and Archaeology at Lincoln College, Oxford, and former Assistant Keeper at the Ashmolean Museum. His many books include The Greeks Overseas, The History of Greek Vases, and The Greeks in Asia.