8 Greek art: recent developments and current trends

Abstract

This review essay focuses on recent developments and trends in the study of ancient Greek art. The publications covered date primarily to the period beginning in 2017–2018, though selected earlier works have been included where considered to be of particular merit or importance. Examples have been chosen to span and represent the long Archaic to Hellenistic phases (eighth–first century BC), and a full range of artistic categories and media have been featured in the discussions. In order to structure the large quantity of bibliography available, the presentation is divided into several broad categories according to themes (e.g. sites, reports, guides; exhibitions, conferences, Festschriften) or materials (e.g. sculpture and terracottas; metals, coins, gems, and jewellery). Where possible, digital resources applicable to the discipline have also been mentioned and cited. By way of conclusion, some general observations are made about the subjects of Greek art that seem not only to be the most prevalent in recent scholarship, but also transcend artistic medium, style, and scale – among them the body and adornment, senses and emotion, aesthetics and beauty, religion and performance, and archaeological contexts and intercultural connections.