Reception and artefacts in the making of late eighteenth-century visual culture : the cultural biography of Sir William Hamilton's vases
This doctoral thesis examines the cultural biographies of Sir William Hamiltonâs collections of ancient Greek vases, including the ways in which meanings and values were attributed to them. More specifically, this thesis compares various practices of recording, copying and appropriating objects from these collections, and in so doing discusses the various ways of interpreting them. By reproducing a specific repertoire of images from a variety of popular media, it aims to rediscover a late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century way of viewing, receiving and appreciating classical art. These media (e.g. engraved antiquarian catalogues, paintings, drawings, sketches and selected forms of craftsmanship such as Wedgwoodâs pottery and Sir John Soaneâs cork models) appropriated and fabricated antique culture in the form of figured vases. In other words, this thesis considers the effect of various aesthetic changes and artistic choices on the production and distribution of images that were taken from Hamiltonâs vases during the decades around 1800. My central argument is that the visual reproduction of Hamiltonâs vases was a pervasive and essential constituent of the contemporary pursuit of art and literature,
Kalkanis, Emmanouil
Reception and artefacts in the making of late eighteenth-century visual culture : the cultural biography of Sir William Hamilton's vases. This doctoral thesis examines the cultural biographies of Sir William Hamiltonâs collections of ancient Greek vases, including the ways in which meanings and values were attributed to them. More specifically, this thesis compares various practices of recording, copying and appropriating objects from these collections, and in so doing discusses the various ways of interpreting them. By reproducing a specific repertoire of images from a variety of popular media, it aims to rediscover a late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century way of viewing, receiving and appreciating classical art. These media (e.g. engraved antiquarian catalogues, paintings, drawings, sketches and selected forms of craftsmanship such as Wedgwoodâs pottery and Sir John Soaneâs cork models) appropriated and fabricated antique culture in the form of figured vases. In other words, this thesis considers the effect of various aesthetic changes and artistic choices on the production and distribution of images that were taken from Hamiltonâs vases during the decades around 1800. My central argument is that the visual reproduction of Hamiltonâs vases was a pervasive and essential constituent of the contemporary pursuit of art and literature,
reception artefact make visual_culture cultural biography sir william doctoral examines cultural biography sir william collection ancient_greek vas include way meaning_value attribute them specifically compare various practice record copy appropriate object collection discuss_various way_interpret them reproduce specific repertoire image variety popular medium aim rediscover late eighteenth early_nineteenth century way viewing receive appreciate classical art medium engrave antiquarian catalogue painting drawing sketch select form pottery sir john model appropriate antique culture form figure vas word considers effect various aesthetic change artistic choice production_distribution image take decade around central_argument visual reproduction pervasive essential constituent contemporary pursuit art_literature