eBook - ePub

The Diver of Paestum

Name: The Diver of Paestum
ISBN: 9781509568147

Youth, Eros, and the Sea in Ancient Greece

Tonio Holscher,

Robert Savage,

English
ePUB (mobile friendly)
Available on iOS & Android

eBook - ePub

The Diver of Paestum

Youth, Eros, and the Sea in Ancient Greece

Tonio Holscher,

Robert Savage,

About this book

Since its discovery in 1968, the painting of a diver on a tomb in Paestum, originally the Greek colony of Poseidonia in southern Italy, has left viewers spellbound. It depicts a beautiful and enigmatic scene: a young man dives headfirst into the water from a cliff or tower. The image is joined by others from the same tomb depicting a banquet of young people drinking wine, playing games and enjoying music. Understanding this painting is often seen as a key to unlocking some of the mysteries of ancient Greek culture – and therein lies the puzzle. What is the meaning of the diver? Is it, as many have argued, a metaphorical representation of the passage from life to a world beyond?

The eminent art historian Tonio Hölscher rejects this view, arguing that there is nothing symbolic or metaphorical about the painting: the scenes celebrate the real lives of the Greek colonists of the early 5th century BC. The painting captures a young man's spirited personality and pursuits during a life which may have been short, but was lived to the full. In a groundbreaking reversal of how the painting is typically interpreted, this book opens a window onto the world of Ancient Greece and its culture of athleticism, eroticism, love for nature and enjoyment of the sea. A joyful ode to youth, it is above all a unique portrait of the zest for life in Antiquity.

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Yes, you can access The Diver of Paestum by Tonio Holscher, Robert Savage in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & History of Ancient Art. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.