Painting, Poetry, and the Invention of Tenderness in the Early Roman Empire

In the second half of the first century BCE, Roman poets, artists, and their audience became increasingly interested in the sentimental aspects of amatory experience, leading to the invention of a new romantic ideal. Hérica Valladares' book is the first to correlate these two phenomena, showing that they are deeply intertwined.

Format: Hardback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 17 December 2020
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Tenderness is not a notion commonly associated with the Romans, whose mythical origin was attributed to brutal rape. Yet, as Hérica Valladares argues in this groundbreaking study, in the second half of the first century BCE, Roman poets, artists, and their audience became increasingly interested in describing, depicting, and visualizing the more sentimental aspects of amatory experience. During this period, we see two important and simultaneous developments: Latin love elegy crystallizes as a poetic genre, while a new style in Roman wall painting emerges. Valladares' book is the first to correlate these two phenomena properly, showing that they are deeply intertwined. Rather than postulating a direct correspondence between images and texts, she offers a series of mutually reinforcing readings of painting and poetry that ultimately locate the invention of a new romantic ideal within early imperial debates about domesticity and the role of citizens in Roman society.

Latin love elegy, a poetic genre that emerged in the second half of the first century BCE, gained prominence as Roman poets, artists, and their audience delved into the more sentimental aspects of amatory experiences. This period witnessed two significant developments: the crystallization of Latin love elegy as a distinct poetic form, and the emergence of a new style in Roman wall painting. Hérica Valladares' book is groundbreaking in its ability to correlate these two phenomena effectively, demonstrating their intricate interconnectedness. Instead of positing a direct correlation between images and texts, Valladares presents a series of mutually reinforcing readings that explore the relationship between painting and poetry. Through these readings, she identifies the emergence of a new romantic ideal within early imperial debates on domesticity and the role of citizens in Roman society.

Latin love elegy, a poetic genre that emerged in the second half of the first century BCE, gained prominence as Roman poets, artists, and their audience delved into the more sentimental aspects of amatory experiences. This period witnessed two significant developments: the crystallization of Latin love elegy as a distinct poetic form, and the emergence of a new style in Roman wall painting. Hérica Valladares' book is groundbreaking in its ability to correlate these two phenomena effectively, demonstrating their intricate interconnectedness. Instead of positing a direct correlation between images and texts, Valladares presents a series of mutually reinforcing readings that explore the relationship between painting and poetry. Through these readings, she identifies the emergence of a new romantic ideal within early imperial debates on domesticity and the role of citizens in Roman society.

Latin love elegy, a poetic genre that emerged in the second half of the first century BCE, gained prominence as Roman poets, artists, and their audience delved into the more sentimental aspects of amatory experiences. This period witnessed two significant developments: the crystallization of Latin love elegy as a distinct poetic form, and the emergence of a new style in Roman wall painting. Hérica Valladares' book is groundbreaking in its ability to correlate these two phenomena effectively, demonstrating their intricate interconnectedness. Instead of positing a direct correlation between images and texts, Valladares presents a series of mutually reinforcing readings that explore the relationship between painting and poetry. Through these readings, she identifies the emergence of a new romantic ideal within early imperial debates on domesticity and the role of citizens in Roman society.

Weight: 716g
Dimension: 183 x 258 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108835411