Divine Music in Archaic and Classical Greek Art: Seeing the Songs of the Gods

Carolyn M. Laferrière explores how Athenian vase-paintings and reliefs depict the gods as musicians, combining formal analysis with literary and archaeological evidence to reconstruct the musical culture of Athens. She argues that images suggest the sounds of the gods' music, creating a multisensory experience of divine presence for worshippers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 302 pages
Publication date: 29 February 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In this captivating volume, Carolyn M. Laferrière delves into the intricate world of Athenian vase-paintings and reliefs, where the gods are often portrayed as musicians. Through a meticulous examination of these visual representations, she seeks to unravel the suggestive power of images in conveying the sounds of the divine music. By integrating insights from recent work in sensory studies, Laferrière explores a holistic approach, combining formal analysis with literary and archaeological evidence, to unravel the musical culture of ancient Athens.

Laferrière argues that these images possess the remarkable ability to visually suggest the ethereal melodies created by the gods. By blurring the boundaries between sight and sound, they create a sense of ambiguity, allowing the human imagination to fill in the blanks and conjure up the unseen sounds of their music. This representational strategy not only enhances the visual appeal of the artworks but also emphasizes the inherent unhearability of divine music, as it cannot be physically experienced. It is left to the viewer's interpretation and multisensory engagement to fully appreciate the essence of the divine.

Furthermore, when viewed within their likely original contexts, these objects establish a profound network of interaction between the viewer, the visualized music, and the surrounding landscape. This interplay shapes how divine music was depicted, perceived, and reciprocated by the worshippers. Laferrière meticulously demonstrates that participation in the gods' musical performances offered worshippers a multisensory experience of divine presence, encompassing sight, sound, and the surrounding environment.

Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Carolyn M. Laferrière sheds light on the rich musical culture of ancient Athens, offering a deeper understanding of the visual representations that captured the essence of the divine. This volume is a testament to the power of art to transcend time and evoke the senses, providing a captivating journey into the world of ancient Greek music and its profound impact on the worshipers of the time.

Weight: 820g
Dimension: 261 x 186 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009315944