Looking at Laughter: Humor, Power, and Transgression in Roman Visual Culture, 100 B.C.- A.D. 250

University of California Press 2007,

40.00 €

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(Roma, Italy)

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Details

Author

Clarke, John R.

Publishers

University of California Press 2007

Keyword

Classica Ancient Rome Greece

Cover description

As New

Binding description

Dust jacket

Yes

State of preservation

As New

Binding

Hardcover

Inscribed

First edition

Description

8vo, cloth ib dj, 336 pgs. illustrations In this fresh, accessible, and beautifully illustrated book, his third to examine an aspect of Roman visual culture, John R. Clarke explores the question, "What made Romans laugh?" Looking at Laughter examines a heterogeneous corpus of visual material, from the crudely obscene to the exquisitely sophisticated and from the playful to the deadly serious--everything from street theater to erudite paintings parodying the emperor. Nine chapters, organized under the rubrics of Visual Humor, Social Humor, and Sexual Humor, analyze a wide range of visual art, including wall painting, sculpture, mosaics, and ceramics. Archaeological sites, as well as a range of ancient texts, inscriptions, and graffiti, provide the background for understanding the how and why of humorous imagery. This entertaining study offers fascinating insights into the mentality of Roman patrons and viewers who enjoyed laughing at the gods, the powers-that-be, and themselves.