Abstract

This article explores some of the dynamics related to ekphrasis between Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, focusing particularly on the often problematic, but always fruitful, interplay between the object and its description. My interest lies, more specifically, in what has often been called ‘reverse ekphrasis’, that is, the process through which the figurative arts engage in producing an equivalent of the verbal text, instead of the other way around. The analysis is structured around a series of case studies related to King Solomon and to the rich artistic patronage attributed to him by the Bible—a patronage that not only was exploited for centuries to create a powerful imagery around kingship, but also had a fruitful effect on the creation of artefacts.

摘要

本文探讨了古代晚期和中世纪之间与ekphrasis相关的一些动态，特别关注对象与其描述之间经常出现问题但总是富有成效的相互作用。更具体地说，我的兴趣在于通常被称为“反向ekphrasis ”的过程，即比喻艺术参与产生与口头文本等效的过程，而不是相反。分析围绕着一系列与所罗门王有关的案例研究以及圣经归因于他的丰富的艺术赞助——这种赞助不仅被利用了几个世纪以创造出围绕王权的强大形象，而且还产生了丰硕的影响关于文物的创作。