Ancient World in Visual Arts

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

Course aims:
- to gain knowledge of origins and development of ancient themes in the history of visual arts,
- to gain knowledge of political and social influences on the works of art using antiquity as their main subject,
- to develop the ability of interpretation of the most important works of art based on ancient literature and history,
- to develop research skills in the field of diverse levels of intertextual and cultural relationships: persons, genres, motifs, and selected problems.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

General familiarity with classical antiquity.

Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction: definitions and clarifications; “visuality” in antiquity, ancient culture as a subject matter and as a formal source of inspiration in visual arts
Week 2: Ancient inspirations in painting from early Christian art to Cy Twombly and Francis Bacon
Week 3: Ancient inspirations in sculpture from early Christian art to Igor Mitoraj
Week 4: Antiquity in photography, street art, and new visual media: AES+F, Eleanor Antin, Blemobill, NeSpoon, David LaChapelle…
Week 5: Antiquity-inspired fashion and design
Week 6: Opera theatre as a rebirth of Greek tragedy
Week 7: Ancient Greek plays in modern theatre
Week 8: Urban planning and architecture; the city of Rome as a palimpsest
Week 9: Ancient myth and history in graphic novels
Week 10: Greek and Roman civilisations in films: stereotypes and controversies in the light of the notion of “historiophoty”
Week 11: Ancient languages in film
Week 12: Adaptations: ancient literature turned into film
Week 13: Cinematic Rome
Week 14: Conclusions: the modes of use of ancient literature and culture in visual arts
Week 15: Test

Reading list

A Companion to Classical Receptions. Ed. L. Hardwick, Ch. Stray. Malden 2008; Classics for All: Reworking Antiquity in Mass Culture. Ed. D. Lowe, K. Shahabudin. Newcastle 2009; E. Theodorakopoulos, Ancient Rome at the Cinema: Story and Spectacle in Hollywood and Rome. Exeter 2010; J. Paul, Cinematic Receptions of Antiquity: The Current State of Play. „Classical Receptions Journal” 2010, vol. 2, no. 1; Classics and comics. Ed. G. Kovacs, C.W. Marshall. Oxford 2011; Son of Classics and Comics. Ed. G. Kovacs, C.W. Marshall. Oxford 2016; A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen. Ed. A.J. Pomeroy. Malden 2017; R. Warren, Art Nouveau and the Classical Tradition. London-Oxford-New York 2017; P. Salzman-Mitchell, J. Alvares, Classical Myth and Film in the New Millennium. Oxford 2018; The Ancient Mediterranean Sea in Modern Visual and Performing Arts: Sailing in Troubled Waters. Ed. R. Rovira Guardiola. London 2018; M.M. Winkler, Ovid on Screen: A Montage of Attractions. Cambridge 2020.