Papers by Bente Kiilerich
Acta ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia 37, 2023
The head was the essential part of a Roman portrait, but the portrait's meaning was shaped by the... more The head was the essential part of a Roman portrait, but the portrait's meaning was shaped by the body to which it was attached. After a presentation of portrait heads joined to ideal bodies, the article discusses the combination of different stones for different parts of a sculpted bust. To attract collectors, many antique works were later refashioned and updated, an ancient head being mounted on a new bust. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to tell whether a given work is ancient, partly ancient, or wholly modern. It is my contention that most extant portrait busts of coloured marbles are modern; indeed, some are still being manufactured in the twenty-first century. The aim of the article is to present various ways in which ancient sculptures have been subject to combination and recombination down through the centuries.
Acta ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia 36, 2023
Three antique sculptures, the Hanging Marsyas, the Farnese Bull, and the Laocoön, display intense... more Three antique sculptures, the Hanging Marsyas, the Farnese Bull, and the Laocoön, display intense expressions of suffering and pain. Drawing on ancient sources and modern research on embodied simulation and mirror neurons, the article discusses the connection between motion and emotion and the sculptures' impact on emotional reaction and empathic viewer response. Did these works evoke strong feelings, or did they merely incur a light thrill? A concept of interest is phrike (tremor, shivering), an emotion associated with automatic responses to sudden stimuli.
The Routledge Handbook of Gender and Sexuality in Byzantium, ed. by Mati Meyer & Charis Messis,, 2024
The chapter discusses cultural and social aspects of clothing in Byzantium. Issues addressed are ... more The chapter discusses cultural and social aspects of clothing in Byzantium. Issues addressed are gendering of clothes, female power dressing, elite garments, gendered response to foreign influences, work wear, and clothes as a means of communicating gendered values. A short epilogue presents the refashioning of Byzantine costumes in contemporary fashion. Research is based on a combination of visual, archaeological, and textual sources.
CLARA - Classical Art and Archaeology, vol. 11, 2023
After a presentation of the Danish architect and archaeologist Ejnar Dyggve's excavations in Thes... more After a presentation of the Danish architect and archaeologist Ejnar Dyggve's excavations in Thessaloniki in the late antique palace complex (1939), the article turns to the Dano-Norwegian archaeological and art-historical studies in the Rotunda (1953). The local authorities' positive attitude made it possible for Hjalmar Torp to work for four months on the scaffolding inside the monument to examine, describe and make drawings and photographs of the cupola mosaics. Permission was also granted to excavate in the choir of the church. These excavations uncovered remains of holy relics. The forensic report on the contents of the altar relic tomb is published here in full for the first time.
CLARA - classical art and archaeology, vol. 10 (= Special issue no. 3), 2023
The article focuses on female clothing depicted in wall paintings from Pompeii, Herculaneum and S... more The article focuses on female clothing depicted in wall paintings from Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae. A main point is to establish the semantics of costumes and colour: how do the aesthetic spaces of 'real' Pompeian garments worn by professional and working women in the first century intersect with 'ideal' garb represented in mythological and genre scenes? What do the colours chosen for clothing reveal about status and how did the ancient viewers negotiate the shifting meanings of a given hue according to context? I argue that the colours of both real and represented clothing were largely dictated by fabric, with pastel hues for silk and saturated primary hues for wool. The article proposes two interrelated colour domains, each with its particular connotations: saturated basic chromatics for everyday wear and a pastel palette for elite attire.
Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, 1989
CLARA - classical art and archaeology, 2023
In recent years, important discoveries have been made at archaeological sites in the Bay of Naple... more In recent years, important discoveries have been made at archaeological sites in the Bay of Naples, and scholars have used new approaches such as gender studies and material agency to explore both familiar and less familiar aspects of Pompeii and the surrounding areas. The current special issue of CLARA: Pompeii from the Real to the Ideal focuses on the presentation and interpretation of the archaeological evidence from Pompeii and its impact on later art and culture.
Dear professors, researchers and students CLARA (Classical Art and Archaeology) is an online, ope... more Dear professors, researchers and students CLARA (Classical Art and Archaeology) is an online, open access and peer-reviewed journal which covers a wide range of topics that can be termed antiquity studies. Hosted by the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo, CLARA aims to publish articles, essays, reviews and special issues of a high academic quality within the field of classical art and archaeology and make them accessible to a wide scholarly public.
CLARA - classical art and archaeology, 2022
In his formalist art history, Alois Riegl (1858-1905) focuses on figure and ground, light and dar... more In his formalist art history, Alois Riegl (1858-1905) focuses on figure and ground, light and dark, and tactile versus optical features. Strangely, he shows little interest in colour. Thus, in Stilfragen (1893) and in Spätrömische Kunstindustrie (1901) artefacts and monuments are discussed as if they were fashioned in black and white. Even when describing mosaics and book illuminations, Riegl refrains from mentioning specific colours. In connection with baroque painting (Die Entstehung der Barockkunst in Rom, 1908) the almost total lack of colour description is even more striking. Although Riegl may have found form to be more objective than colour, and he also relied heavily on black and white reproductions, another explanation for his exclusion of chromatic features could be that he did not see colour well. The article proposes that Riegl may have been among the 8-10 per cent of males who suffer from colour blindness
Acta ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia, 2019
The people who commissioned artworks and monumental decorations in late antiquity are for the mos... more The people who commissioned artworks and monumental decorations in late antiquity are for the most part unknown. Even when names are recorded, it is often difficult to tell to what extent the demands of the patron determined the visual characteristics of a given work. Since styles were tied to workshop traditions and contentions, it can be argued that in most instances, the patron had but limited influence on stylistic properties. Evidence actually suggests that the style of a work often came about independently of the one who commissioned or purchased it. The style was conditioned by function and context. The article, therefore, proposes a functional paradigm for evaluating visual expressions, defining three main domains of representation: public monuments, religious programmes, and artworks. In search of the late antique patron, the conclusion reached is that the patron had most impact in the religious domain.
H. Torp, La rotonde palatine à Thessalonique, Athens: Kapon Editions , 2018
The Portrait Face. Understanding Realism and Verism in Greek and Roman Portraiture, ed. S. Dillon, M. Prusac-Lindhagen, A.K. Lundgren (Papers and Monographs from the Norwegian Institute at Athens), 2021
Seminar papers published in a special issue of the Clara journal, vol. 5, 2020: https://journals.uio.no/CLARA/issue/view/702, 2020
CLARA - Classical Art and Archaeology, special issue 2, 2021
In the twenty-first century, famous antique statues have been reinterpreted by artists of very di... more In the twenty-first century, famous antique statues have been reinterpreted by artists of very different backgrounds. A characteristic feature of the contemporary artwork is the use of unconventional sculptural materials such as paper, soap, concrete, polycarbonate and metal cans. In the dialogue called the Cratylus, Socrates explains that 'images are far from possessing the same qualities as the originals they imitate' (432d). Socrates refers to the relationship between an image (eikon) and its human model, but much the same can be said about the relationship between the new images and their ancient art-historical models. Aristotle holds that matter (hyle) is separate from form (eidos). In the contemporary works, the matter is changed-e.g. from marble to hydrostone or from bronze to concrete-but the form is preserved. The antique statue is the underlying thing (Aristotle's hypokeimenon) that persists through the material changes. The article presents some of the ways that European, Asian and American artists, in the second decade of the twenty-first century, transform the appearance of renowned antique statues.
Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Art and Architecture, ed. Ellen C. Schwartz (Oxford Handbooks Online), 2021
CLARA - Classical Art and Archaeology, 2021
This special issue of CLARA titled 'The Classical in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture' focuses... more This special issue of CLARA titled 'The Classical in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture' focuses on the impact of Greco-Roman antiquity on present day art and culture. Over the last few decades, antique statues have been revived again and again, turning up in new guises in contemporary art from all over the globe. In addition to new works based on specific ancient statues, some artists create art that references the past in a more general way. Other artists question the divide between past and present raising the possibility of 'multi-temporality', a phenomenon that will be explored in connection with recent exhibitions. Another aspect of the interaction of antiquity and the contemporary world is the association between luxury brands and antique monuments, fashion brands taking on the role of patrons, paying large sums for the restoration of Roman landmarks. By studying various types of exchanges between the classical and the contemporary, the papers aim to throw light on why artists and designers continue to draw inspiration from ancient art; in short, why antiquity continues to fascinate.
Domus sapienter staurata. Scritti di storia dell'arte per Marina Righetti, 2021
Proceedings of a Conference BYZANTINE ATHENS, ed. Helen Saradi, 2021
CLARA - Classical Art and Archaeology, vol. 7, 2021
Depictions of rainbows in late antique and early Byzantine art follow the normal sequence of the ... more Depictions of rainbows in late antique and early Byzantine art follow the normal sequence of the spectral colours, only some bows exclude blue and violet. Another characteristic feature of the late antique rainbow is the inclusion of white and the non-spectral hue pink. In order to investigate chromatic characteristics, I use as case studies the comparatively few extant rainbow images of third-to sixth-century date from Thessaloniki, Constantinople, Rome and Ravenna. The rainbows, depicted in a floor mosaic, three illuminated manuscripts and three monumental wall mosaic decorations, are either part of narratives or rainbow-patterned borders used to frame other scenes. To throw light on the chromatic variations, ancient descriptions of rainbows are brought into the discussion and the representations are seen in relation to meteorological research. I propose that the late antique rainbow images follow two visual traditions, both of which can be traced back to the Hellenistic period and both of which are grounded in scientific research. One is the sunrise/sunset rainbow that ranges from red to green. I argue that the exclusion of blue/violet may be due to its being more difficult to see against the sky, the wavelength of violet being closest to the boundary beyond which coloured light tends to look black. The variant type, found especially in the church mosaics, covers the whole spectrum from red via green to violet as well as pink and white. I suggest that the non-spectral pink hues can be understood as the gradations of red that can sometimes be observed in the natural bow and that the white band provides highlight, which combined with a silver line indicates a strong luminance. The dictionary defines a rainbow as 'an arch of colours formed in the sky in certain circumstances, and caused by the refraction and dispersion of the sun's light by rain or other water droplets in the atmosphere. The colours of the
We invite proposals for articles for a special issue of CLARA on the use of antiquity in contempo... more We invite proposals for articles for a special issue of CLARA on the use of antiquity in contemporary art, especially in the last two decades. The special issue aims to explore why classical (Greek and Roman) sculpture and other artwork continue to fascinate artists in the twenty-first century. Background Continuing a trend of the late twentieth century, the early twenty-first century has witnessed an enduring interest in Greek and Roman antiquity and the classical heritage. A growing number of artists of very different backgrounds, including (alphabetically) have created new works of art based on renowned antique statues such as the Venus de Milo, the Nike of Samothrace, the Apollo Belvedere, the Belvedere torso and the Hercules Farnese. While some artists make new versions of ancient sculptures, other artists create new works in a classical style. Classical images, ranging from statues to temples, also turn up in advertising to promote ideas of high quality and excellent taste. In fashion design, brands such as Versace, Chanel and not least Dolce & Gabbana, who in recent collections have presented male and female couture decorated with Greek coins, Sicilian temples and Black-and Red-figure vases, have similarly embraced the classical.
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Papers by Bente Kiilerich
The last two decades have witnessed a growing interest in sculptural polychromy. In the present book, Jennifer Stager aims to see colour in a wider context. Combining empirical and theoretical approaches, the author discusses various aspects of colour in antiquity, including theory of colour, practical engagement with materials and changing attitudes to colour. According to the sleeve notes, ‘Stager harnesses ancient ideas of materiality, care, landscape, visual exchange, and artistic atomism to theorize color in the ancient Mediterranean and its afterlives’ – quite an ambitious project.
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Venue: Swedish Institute at Athens, Mitseon 9, Wednesday 13. March 2019, 15:00-16:00.