Douris and the Painters of Greek Vases

Douris and the Painters of Greek Vases

The translator of M. Pottiers monograph on Douris has kindly asked me to write, by way of preface, a few words on the relation of Greek vase-painting to Greek literature and to Greek mythology. I do this with the more pleasure because this relation has, I think, been somewhat seriously misunderstood, and M. Pottiers delightful monograph which, thanks to Miss Kahnweiler, is now given to us in English form, should do much to clear away misconception and to set the matter before us in a light at once juster and more vivid. First let us consider for a moment the relation between Greek art and Greek literature. In classical matters we are all of us, scholars and students alike, bred up in a tradition that is literary. Our earliest contact with the Greek mind is through Greek poets, historians, philosophers. This is well, for these remainall saidthe supreme revelation. But this priority of literary contact begets, almost inevitably, avi certain confusion of thought. Bred as we are in a literary tradition, we come later to be confronted with other utterances of the Greek mind, for example graphic artvase-painting. This we naturally seek to relate to our earlier and purely literary conceptions. What has come to us second we instinctively make subordinate, ancillary. Greek art, and especially what we call a minor art, such as vase-painting, is the hand-maid of Greek poetry, or, to drop metaphor, the function of Greek art, is, we think, to illustrate Greek literature. Public and publisher alike demand nowadays that books on Greek literature, on Greek mythology, even editions of Greek plays, should be illustrated from Greek art. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 61034
Author: Pottier, Edmond
Release Date: Dec 27, 2019
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Translator: Kahnweiler, Bettina