Description
Placed at the intersection of the broader spheres of small-scale statuary and Greco-Roman copyism, the ideal small-format sculpture has long been the object of only marginal interest on the part of classical archaeologists. Net of more or less implicit forms of "prejudice" - children of the traditional distinction between "major" and "minor" arts, and of an aural conception of the work of art - it would however be a mistake to consider these statuettes only as alternatives simplified compared to the statuary of large form. Their characteristic combination of iteration of forms and variability of formats, open to the use of a vast range of materials and a particularly free relationship with models, seems to have rather guaranteed them a pervasive presence at various levels of ancient societies. From the point of view of the functions and methods of use intended for them, it also seems legitimate to consider these objects as something more than (small) statues: they were in fact more autonomous works than their higher module counterparts were, often made for a very close use, which in many cases could be moved, manipulated and inspected from different angles, aiming at involving the observer in terms of not only visual but also tactile intimacy. Through the analysis of two particularly exemplary copyistic sequences (Hercules "at rest" and Aphrodite "taking off his sandal"), this work therefore aims to contribute to a better understanding of status of this production within the development of ancient art.
In collaboration with SAMI, Società degli Archeologi Medievisti Italiani
