The Active Spectator: Art and the Viewer in Ancient Greece

The way in which ancient Greeks responded to works of art has recently been the focus of study by classicists and art historians. The emerging consensus has stressed the importance of accompanying inscriptions in drawing the viewer into an interactive relationship with art. The present study examines ancient Greek texts from the fifth century B.C. through the third century A.D. that preserve evidence of the interaction of the spectator with works of art. It demonstrates that the ancient Greek viewer was an active and vocal participant in the viewing process, in ways that are far more complex than the models that have been suggested. The normal mode of viewing for the ancient spectator is to be characterized as emotionally engaged, social and vocal. The ancient viewer used sculpture as a catalyst for discourse and social interaction, whether or not the work of art was accompanied by an identifying inscription. The spectator relied equally on previous knowledge, local informants, or inscriptions in order to identify the subject of a work of art. In the absence of these sources of information, the viewer engaged in speculation, altering or creating meaning in the process of viewing. While maintaining awareness that the work of art was a lifeless object, the spectator became emotionally involved in the viewing process. The ancient viewer engaged in play, dissolving the boundary between himself and the object, and allowing himself the conceit of becoming a witness to the events portrayed or the individuals depicted. This study of ancient viewing practice emphasizes the role of the viewer in creating and assigning meaning to works of art through active discourse. It suggests a new paradigm for viewing practice in antiquity that remained consistent over time, was independent of the level of sophistication of the viewer, and existed without the need for an identifying inscription associated with the work of art. Sculpture, for the ancient viewer, functioned as a trigger for memory, a didactic tool, and a means of reinforcing and transmitting cultural identity. The active participation of the viewer was a necessary element of a social process.