Abstract
Abstract
It is generally acknowledged that John Davidson Beazley legitimized the practice of connoisseurship in the study of ancient Greek pottery. Based on meticulous description and clinical observation of the rendering of human figures, his method of attribution placed great emphasis on the accurate reproduction of vase paintings as an essential instrument for the understanding of the vase painters’ personal style. This chapter sheds new light on Beazley’s distinctive use of drawings and its dependence on several nineteenth-century forerunners, such as Paul Hartwig and Friedrich Hauser. It places Beazley’s method of reproduction in the context of archaeology’s coming of age as a scientific discipline that relied on accurate reproductions to record and interpret archaeological objects. Furthermore, the chapter explores Beazley’s freehand sketches and tracings, foregrounding his interest in drawing anatomical details from vases and pottery fragments as a means to train his connoisseurial faculties.
Publisher
Oxford University PressOxford
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