Getty Research Institute Study Photographs of Ancient Vases, 1900s

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Summary

Title:
Study photographs of ancient vases
Dates:
1900s
Creators:
Getty Research Institute
Abstract:
A collection of modern photographs of Greek and Roman vases assembled by the Getty Research Institute. Photographs of Attic black- and red-figured vases attributed to particular vase-painters by J. D. Beazley comprise the largest component of the collection. Coverage of South Italian red-figured vases is also significant. Coverage of other ancient vase-painting styles (including Corinthian, Lakonian, Etruscan, Boeotian, and East Greek examples) is less complete.
Extent:
96.1 linear feet (456 boxes)
Language:
Collection material is in English

Background

Scope and content:

An assembled collection of modern photographs of Greek and Roman vases. Photographs of Attic black- and red-figured vases attributed to particular vase-painters by J. D. Beazley comprise the largest component of the collection. Coverage of South Italian red-figured vases is also significant. Coverage of other ancient vase-painting styles (including Corinthian, Lakonian, Etruscan, Boeotian, and East Greek examples) is less complete. The collection is particularly strong in its documentation of ancient vases in American museums, as well as of significant collections in Europe.

The collection contains photographs from numerous sources including commercial vendors and photographers, museum collections, auction houses, research institutions' archives, excavation campaigns, scholars' archives and collections, and photographic projects sponsored by the Getty Research Institute. One such project documents the major portion of the Attic black-figured olpai and oinochoai in the Hermitage Museum and includes limited coverage of other Attic figured vases in the Hermitage. These vases are represented in circa 720 Cibachrome prints made from photographs taken by Andrew Clark.

Another Institute-sponsored campaign, begun in 1986 and carried out by Barbara Bini under the direction of Gloria Ferrari Pinney, documents the collection of Attic red-figured vases of the archaic period in the Museo archeologico nazionale di Tarquinia (circa 450 photographs). The Amasis Painter Exhibition Photo Project (circa 500 photographs) contributed original photographs of vases in the 1985-86 exhibition, The Amasis Painter and his world, as well as copy prints from various sources provided by Dietrich von Bothmer, of related vases used as comparanda in the exhibition catalog. (There are also 13 preparatory sketches for the catalog.)

Significant scholarly archives acquired by the repository and dispersed into this collection include those of Giovanni Becatti, Ludwig Goldscheider, and Kyle M. Phillips, as well as a study collection acquired from the Dept. of Classics at the University of California, Los Angeles. The collection contains copy prints from A. D. Trendall as well as from research institutions, among them the Beazley Archive at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University; and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

The most important commercial sources include Alinari (together with the Anderson and Brogi archives), Bildarchiv Foto Marburg, Bulloz, Christie's, Photographie Giraudon, Gabinetto fotografico nazionale (Rome), Hirmer Verlag, Réunion des musées nationaux, Sotheby's, Max Hutzel, Barbara Bini, and Emile Serafis.

Arrangement

Black- and red-figured Attic vases are arranged according to the system established by J. D. Beazley in his publications, and (second edition). Attic black- and red-figured vases not attributed to a particular artist by Beazley are arranged alphabetically by shape, then location (city, museum).

South Italian red-figured vases arranged by names of vase painters established by A. D. Trendall in publications on this vase type.

All other vases, figured or not, arranged chronologically, by culture, by style, then location (city, museum).

Biographical / historical:

In 1974, the J. Paul Getty Museum began assembling a "photo library" by consolidating the visual resources of each existing curatorial department. By the early 1980s, the Photo Archive was actively acquiring large collections of photographs from commercial and private sources and scholars' archives that contained a photographic component. In 1983, the nearly one million photographs of the Photo Archive were incorporated into the Research Institute's Special Collections.

Processing information:

Finding aid created in 2009.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Ann Harrison
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-08-20T16:42-0700

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers. For further information, consult the Guide to the Photo Archive and Database.

Terms of access:

Photographs and permission to publish must be obtained from copyright holder(s). For further information, contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
Website