The beginnings of the scholarly study of ancient greek vase painting: the formation of the discipline at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries and the contribution of John Beazley
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2025.160.15
Keywords:
John Beazley, Hryhorii Pavlutskyi, vase painting, Ancient Greece, historiography, art historyAbstract
Background. Today, ancient Greek vase painting is one of the central subjects in art history, although for a long time it remained outside the focus of scholarly attention. Interest in this art form emerged during the Renaissance; however, systematic study began only in the 19th century, amid a wave of major archaeological discoveries. At that time, research was predominantly descriptive and limited to cataloguing. A true scientific
breakthrough was made by John Beazley, who developed a method of attribution and typology, distinguishing numerous vase painters and
workshops through stylistic analysis.
Methods. The methodological framework of this study is based on the principles of intellectual history, which enable the tracing of how academic interpretations of vase painting evolved within broader scholarly contexts. The research employs historiographical, comparative, and contextual analysis to critically evaluate the development of methods for attribution, classification, and symbolic interpretation. The source base
includes 18th–20th century classical texts as well as contemporary scholarship focused on the methodological transformation of ancient Greek
ceramic studies.
Results. The study revealed the evolution of approaches to the study of ancient Greek vase painting – from descriptive cataloging in the 18th–19th centuries to theoretical analysis in the 20th century. John Beazley pioneered an attribution method based on stylistic analysis, allowing for the identification of individual painters and workshops, while Hryhorii Pavlutskyi developed a cultural-historical approach through iconographic and contextual interpretation of imagery. Together, these approaches form a comprehensive methodological foundation for the study of vase painting.
Conclusions. The history of vase painting research illustrates a gradual shift from empirical description to analytical and interdisciplinary interpretation. The combination of intellectual history methods and formal analysis offers new perspectives for a deeper understanding of ancient art.
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