From Face to Face
Recarving of Roman Portraits and the Late-Antique Portrait Arts
Published on 20. December 2010
Book
Hardback
22 pages
978-90-04-18271-4 (ISBN)
Description
This book is based on an investigation of more than five hundred recarved portraits. It includes analyses of different recarving methods, some of which can be attributed to geographically localised workshops. The different recarving methods have made it possible to suggest classifiable categories, which together underpin a hypothesis that the late-antique portrait style is a consequence of the many recarved portraits at the time. The practice of portrait recarving emerged due to economic, political, religious and ideological factors, and was influenced by the cultural-historical changes of Late Antiquity. The conclusion gives a new understanding of how wide-ranging, culturally and politically encoded and comprehensive the practice of recarving was.
Reviews / Votes
"Perhaps the greatest significance of Prusac's work-aside from the immense task of amassing the material and publishing it to the benefit of students and other scholars-is the observation that certain technical constraints involved in recarving seem to have determined-at least in part-a primary characteristic of late-antique style, namely the generally stylized features, large eyes and upward gaze. The factors behind the change from one style to the other constitute one of the major questions to be addressed again and again in art history and classical archaeology, and here, certainly, Prusac makes a brave attempt to say something new. This aspect alone is enough for the author to be proud of her work." Rune Frederiksen, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2018.02.11More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Product notice
Laminated cover
Illustrations
12 s/w Zeichnungen, 155 s/w Abbildungen
12 Line drawings, black and white; 155 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 290 mm
Width: 221 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
1383 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-18271-4 (9789004182714)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Marina Prusac
From Face to Face
Recarving of Roman Portraits and the Late-Antique Portrait Arts. Second, revised edition
Book
06/2016
2nd Edition
Brill
€185.50
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Marina Prusac, Ph.D. (2007) is Associate Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. Her research includes investigations of ancient portraiture, late-antique sculpture and cultural identities in the Roman province of Illyria-Dalmatia.
Content
Preface
Editorial note
Acknowledgments
List of diagrams and sketches
List of figures and photo credits
Introduction The history of sculpture reuse and related problems
The Stand der Forschung of sculpture reuse
The identification of recarved sculpture
Organisation of the material
Terminology
Definitions of "style"
The function of recarved portraits
Chapter One The reuse of sculpture and recarving of portraits
Criteria for identification
Spolia and the recarving of portraiture
The reuse of private sculpture
Relocated and discarded sculpture
Portrait heads in secondary contexts
Pagan sculpture in the Early Christian period
The reuse of statuary in late-antique Constantinople
Marmora et ornamenta
The archetype of portraits
Chapter Two Statistical analyses
The relationship between new and recarved portraits
Test case within a defined geographical area
Chapter Three The 1st-2nd centuries ce and the damnatio memoriae portraits
The significance of imperial portraiture
The damnatio memoriae portraits
Female portraits
Chapter Four The 3rd century ce
Economy and reuse
The styles of the recarved portraits from the 3rd century ce
Gallienus and a break with tradition
The soldier emperor portraits
The philosopher portraits
A change in portrait function
Chapter Five Late Antiquity and the emergence of new visual expressions
The Tetrarchic period
The Constantinian period
Visual expression in the Constantinian period
From Valentinian I to Justinian I
Private recarved portraits in Late Antiquity
Chapter Six Recarving methods
Marble and quarries
Workshops
Tools
From face to face
Hairstyles
Facial features
Ears
Eyes
The lower facial features and the mouth
Techniques
Chapter Seven
The Bandit group
The Helmet group
The Ephesos-Tetrarch group
The Athens group
The Plotinus group
The Eutropius group
The Iamblichus group
From the Bandit group to the Eutropius group: a development of technique?
Chapter Eight Social aspects
Imperial vs. private portraits
Gods and humans
Recarvings across gender lines
Recarved female portraits
Recarved portraits on sarcophagi
Norms
Conclusions Oblivion and reinvention
Summary
Map with portrait provenances
The Roman imperial succession until Justinian I
Catalogue of recarved portraits
Introduction to the catalogue
Period 1. Male portraits Imperial
Private
Female portraits Imperial
Private
Period 2. Male portraits Imperial
Private
Female portraits Imperial
Private
Period 3 Male portraits Imperial
Private
Female portraits Imperial
Private
Bibliography
Ancient sources
Modern sources
Index of museums and collections
Concordances
General index
Figure plates
Editorial note
Acknowledgments
List of diagrams and sketches
List of figures and photo credits
Introduction The history of sculpture reuse and related problems
The Stand der Forschung of sculpture reuse
The identification of recarved sculpture
Organisation of the material
Terminology
Definitions of "style"
The function of recarved portraits
Chapter One The reuse of sculpture and recarving of portraits
Criteria for identification
Spolia and the recarving of portraiture
The reuse of private sculpture
Relocated and discarded sculpture
Portrait heads in secondary contexts
Pagan sculpture in the Early Christian period
The reuse of statuary in late-antique Constantinople
Marmora et ornamenta
The archetype of portraits
Chapter Two Statistical analyses
The relationship between new and recarved portraits
Test case within a defined geographical area
Chapter Three The 1st-2nd centuries ce and the damnatio memoriae portraits
The significance of imperial portraiture
The damnatio memoriae portraits
Female portraits
Chapter Four The 3rd century ce
Economy and reuse
The styles of the recarved portraits from the 3rd century ce
Gallienus and a break with tradition
The soldier emperor portraits
The philosopher portraits
A change in portrait function
Chapter Five Late Antiquity and the emergence of new visual expressions
The Tetrarchic period
The Constantinian period
Visual expression in the Constantinian period
From Valentinian I to Justinian I
Private recarved portraits in Late Antiquity
Chapter Six Recarving methods
Marble and quarries
Workshops
Tools
From face to face
Hairstyles
Facial features
Ears
Eyes
The lower facial features and the mouth
Techniques
Chapter Seven
The Bandit group
The Helmet group
The Ephesos-Tetrarch group
The Athens group
The Plotinus group
The Eutropius group
The Iamblichus group
From the Bandit group to the Eutropius group: a development of technique?
Chapter Eight Social aspects
Imperial vs. private portraits
Gods and humans
Recarvings across gender lines
Recarved female portraits
Recarved portraits on sarcophagi
Norms
Conclusions Oblivion and reinvention
Summary
Map with portrait provenances
The Roman imperial succession until Justinian I
Catalogue of recarved portraits
Introduction to the catalogue
Period 1. Male portraits Imperial
Private
Female portraits Imperial
Private
Period 2. Male portraits Imperial
Private
Female portraits Imperial
Private
Period 3 Male portraits Imperial
Private
Female portraits Imperial
Private
Bibliography
Ancient sources
Modern sources
Index of museums and collections
Concordances
General index
Figure plates