Description: Greek artists and architects were important social agents who played significant roles in the social, cultural, and economic life of the ancient Greek world. In Artists and Artistic Production in Ancient Greece, art historians, archaeologists, and historians explore the roles and impacts of artists and craftsmen in ancient Greek society. The contributing authors draw upon artistic, architectural, literary, epigraphical, and historical evidence to discuss a range of artists, architects, artistic media, and regions. They refer to historiography and modern theory, taking stock of the past while offering some new directions for future research. Incorporating a variety of methodological approaches and making use of often-neglected evidence, Artists and Artistic Production in Ancient Greece re-examines many long-held ideas and provides a deeper understanding of particular artists and architects, their works, and their social agency.
Brief description: Kristen Seaman is an assistant professor in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture and an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Classics at the University of Oregon. Educated at Yale University, Connecticut and the University of California, Berkeley, she was a Regular Member at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and carried out additional archaeological training at the American Academy in Rome. She also has done archaeological fieldwork in Greece, Israel, Italy, and the United States, and has studied the practice of stone-carving. Her research deals with Greek art and architecture and its interaction with the Roman, Near Eastern, and Islamic worlds. She has received several fellowships, including funding from the Fulbright Foundation, the Loeb Classical Library Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the State Scholarships Foundation of Greece (IKY).
Review Quotes: 'It is a reassertion of the importance of the individual in the creation of the material culture of ancient Greece.' Janet Burnett Grossman, Bryn Mawr Classical Review