Professor Smith will investigate the contribution of the art of drawing to the commercial exploitation of an evolving taste for simplicity of design, at the end of the eighteenth century. How did the drawn lines made by ancient vase painters differ from those of neoclassical artists who succumbed to their influence? And how did they influence the consumption of drawings on Greek vases? How were the tastes of pioneer art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717–1768) influential in contemporary and later understanding and appreciation of the Greek vase as presented through drawings?

Full details for this and other Winckelmann events are available on the website. See www.chch.ox.ac.uk/events/library-and-archives/drawing-and-winckelmann%E2%80%99s-taste-elegant-simplicity

All are welcome. The event is free of charge, but spaces are limited. To book a place, please contact the Keeper of Special Collections at Christ Church.