EKPHRASIS

Ekphrasis: translation

A poetic, written description of a work of art. This literary genre, first introduced in late antiquity, gained great momentum during the Renaissance. Not only did it flourish once again as a literary medium, but patrons often commissioned works of art that recreated the descriptions provided by the ancients. Raphael'sGalateain theVilla Farnesina, Rome(1513), depends on anekphrasisauthored by Philostratus the Elder, and Sodoma'sMarriage of Alexander and Roxanain the same location (1516-1519) owes its visual components to Lucian's description of a painting by the ancient master Apelles commissioned by Alexander the Great. Anotherekphrasiswritten by Lucian provided the prototype forSandro Botticelli'sCalumny of Apelles(1495;Florence, Uffizi), the earliest Renaissance painting to recreate anekphrasisfrom antiquity.Titian'sWorship ofVenus(1518; Madrid, Prado) depends on Philostratus the Younger's description, and hisBacchusand Ariadne(1520-1522; London, National Gallery) is based on anekphrasisby Catullus that describes a bedspread created for the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Among the Renaissance writers who delved in the genre are the poet Angelo Poliziano, who wrote anekphrasison the reliefs cast by Vulcan for the doors of his consort's temple that provided the inspiration for Botticelli'sBirth of Venus(c. 1485; Florence, Uffizi), and the humanist Mario Equicola, who wrote theekphrasisthatGiovanni Belliniused for hisFeast of the Gods(1514; Washington, National Gallery). Emulating the past, or perhaps even recreating it, was meant to bring prestige to writers, patrons, and artists for the erudition they demonstrated.