Literature in Art Books

"The glory that was Rome" has become proverbial. But John R. Clarke, a professor of the history of art, argues that the monuments of that glory, like the Arch of Constantine and the portraits of emperors, are not the full story. There was other Roman art, like wall paintings and mosaics, which, especially if they were decorations in ordinary houses in Pompeii, were not previously regarded as art within art history. When Clarke first began studying Roman art, these were objects of study in the everyday life of Romans. This has changed, and "everyday" art of the Romans has become a respected target for academic study, not only for itself but for what it can tell us about the majority of Romans. In _Art in the Lives of Ordinary Romans: Visual Representation and Non-Elite Viewers in Italy, 100 B.C. - A.D. 315_ (University of California Press), Clarke lays out the importance of art made or commissioned by such lowly ones as slaves, former slaves, and freeborn workers. Emperors and the wealthy represented themselves in artwork carrying out official and prestigious practices that would demonstrate their importance. Non-elites tended more to want to depict ordinary acts, working, drinking, even brawling. It isn't surprising that the "unofficial" art could tell us more about daily Roman life.

Clarke does begin by discussing how non-elites viewed the official art of the emperors, and then proceeds to the art that non-elites produced. There are many examples here of art in domestic shrines, business-advertising, status boasting, and humor-provoking. Clarke speculates, for example, that a painting from Pompeii previously thought to depict a man selling bread is actually a man giving out a bread dole. There is no evidence of commerce; the receivers of the bread are exultant and do not themselves give up money. The painting comes from a small house, not that of an elite citizen. Clarke says that most likely this is the house of a baker who was prosperous, decided that at some point he would give bread away, and wanted to be depicted in his act of charity. Viewers of his painting would have been reminded of the event, and the baker's prestige would have risen. A completely different commemoration of a particular event is the painting from another house of a riot in the Pompeian amphitheater. This depicted a real event arising somehow from hooliganism during games between the home and visiting teams, an event that caused Rome to forbid all gladiatorial shows in Pompeii for ten years. The owner of the house went to the trouble of having an event that might be thought of as shameful commemorated on his walls. Clarke gives evidence, from the placement of the picture and the subject, that the owner was a gladiatorial fan, who honored the gladiators by putting on display a commemoration of a riot held in their honor, perhaps a riot in which he himself took a glorious part. Unlike the citizen who wanted people to remember the honorable act of giving out bread, the fan (and his buddies) liked remembering how the Roman social order could be disrupted.

Clarke's book is a serious academic tome, complete with scads of footnotes and a huge bibliography. It is, however, written in an engaging style. Clarke is careful to state when he is speculating from incomplete evidence, but even when he does speculate, the evidence is good, and his argument is convincing that art commissioned by these commoners is not a trickled-down version of the works of their betters, but something vibrant and significant to be appreciated on its own. The book is beautifully produced, on glossy paper with, as is fitting, many illustrations. The wealth of the patron, and the skill of the artist, may have put limits upon these works, but they show enormous creative breadth and, in Clarke's interpretations, surprising utility.

I first bought this book for my daughter because she was fascinated by my art books but flummoxed by the text. She was enchanted by the book! It gives an insight into many of the great works of the era - including images that she has seen portrayed in pop art of this century, as well as in advertising and other media.

If you have a child who is artistic or is merely interested in the images that make up our world today, this is an excellent grounding in a complex and colourful topic.

I am writing this only to help those who may be considering buying this book in making their decision, being that there is no description in the Amazon listing and no reviews. I had hoped that this was a collection of photographs of artwork (pottery, sculpture, paintings) depicting scenes from the plays of Aeschylus. It is not. The book is entirely text and I have yet to read it. But to prevent anyone from making the same mistake that I did, I have written this review.

This fascinating book looks at the relationship between the trial narratives of criminal defendants and their literary counterparts from the late eighteenth century through the mid nineteenth century. Grossman discusses a number of well-known British novelists including Gaskell, Dickens, and Godwin, along with some lesser-known writers. Unlike much 'law and literature' research, Grossman has thought carefully about both areas, and his readings are fascinating and nuanced. He also makes some interesting observations about the rise of the detective novel in 19th century England.

This book gives an excellent overview of the Tuareg Culture. It addresses the customs, history, Berber language and it's poetry, as well as the material culture of the Tuareg. The examples of the leather work and jewelry are superb. It was my pleasure to attend the sale of Tuareg jewelry at Fort Mason, CA, which is mentioned on page 67 of the book. This book is the catalogue for an exhibit which will visit the Cantor Center for the Visual Arts, at Stanford University, in 2007. If you like things Tuareg, you will love this book.

This is a wonderful compendium and commentary about the subject of aging in literature. It arrived in excellent condition, and quickly, and was read right away. Thanks!!

It is refreshing to find an author who can find an intersection between serious feminist critique and a true love of Shakespeare's work. In this book, Evelyn Gajowski explores the tension between the role of women as objects of men's projections and their own experience of subjectivity in Shakespeare's plays. The author studies three characters - Juliet, Desdemona, and Cleopatra- in detail to show how Shakespeare created women protagonists who are subjective human beings, independent of the objectifications of the male characters.

Paintings and sculptures by over 40 artists are presented in a fine blend of a 32-page booklet and a stunning pop-up art presentation which is recommended for kids ages 8 and older. An outstanding collection of pop-up games and art history.

Now in its second edition, The Art Of The Aeneid is Professor William S. Anderson's 138-page analytic introduction to Vergil's epic saga "Aeneid", and a "useful start on Rome's finest poem". Professor Anderson (Emeritus Professor of Latin at the University of California at Berkeley), has taught Latin previously at Yale and published informative works on Horace, Vergil, Roman comedy and satire, and Ovid's "Metamorphoses." Beginning with a map tracing the wanderings of Aeneas, The Art Of The Aeneid continues in eight chapters to analyze twelve books of the "Aeneid", provide background on Vergil and epic style, and offer illumination on Latin-English translation and Vergil's style. Two invaluable appendices include a chronology of Vergil's life and works in historical context and a list of resources for further reading, followed by extensive notes to the chapters and an index. The Art Of The Aeneid provides the reader with an excellent critical summary of Vergil's "Aeneid" and its poetic art. Professor Anderson provides a justified framework to well -reasoned conclusions about the intent of Vergil in presenting certain details as he does. An added attraction of this paperback edition is its lovely full color cover illustration by Thom Kapheim. The Art Of The Aeneid is a fine scholar's resource and can also be enjoyed by any appreciator of the Latin classics and would prove a core addition to academic library Latin Studies reference collections. Also very highly recommended for students of Latin are three other Bolchazy-Cardduci titles: A Horace Workbook (0865165742, $20.00), Catullus Expanded Edition (0865166-03X, $39.00), and Vergil Vocabulary Cards For AP Selectio (0865166102, $22.00)

A book about THE ODYSSEY is a very fine thing. Odysseus has conflicts with Poseidon. Islands offer relief from the perils of sea travel.

THE ODYSSEY's story, more prosaic and fantastic, admits less easily than THE ILIAD of a divine parallel. Nonetheless, Athena does protect Odysseus because he is so civilized, so intelligent, so self-possessed. Everyone eats in THE ODYSSEY.

The great wrong is the suitors' conduct toward Odysseus's house and family. There are one hundred eight suitors. Odysseus is both a man reclaiming his wife and a king preserving his throne. His resolve to return home keeps him from succumbing to despair. He uses a series of elaborate disguises to make his way.

Some critics call the first four books of THE ODYSSEY the Telemachia. Telemachus has problems in Ithaca. Apparently kingship is both earned by hereditary means and by merit. Laertes is too old and Telemachus is too young to assume the mantle of rulership. Odysseus, by contrast, combines vigor and experience.

Athena urges Telemachus to be as brave as Orestes. Telemachus undertakes a journey to seek word of his father's progress. Since the suitors are behaving abominably to Penelope it seems to be the wrong time for Telemachus to leave the kingdom, and yet there is a need fro him to develop as a person in his own right. Before meeting his father he needs to experience heroic society.

The first half of THE ODYSSEY is the world of folktale, not the world of epic, of saga. There are adventures of violence, sex, and irresponsibility, typical dangers. Odysseus is sent to the underworld. His tenure there is passive. Three times he seeks to embrace the shade of his mother.

The second half of the work moves more slowly. The idea of return is strong in all primitive societies. Pre-Hellenic populations worshipped a female nature God. Invading Indo-Europeans brought Zeus. Athena changed from nature to warrior. Homeric epic established the Olympian pantheon. In later books fire represents the return to life at Ithaca. Athena establishes peace after the slaying of the suitors and love and justice are served. Structural elements coincide in both of the Homeric epics.

This is a neat handbook. A chronology, an essay on translation, a list of books and sources, an index and notes are placed at the end of the volume.