Anglo-Saxon Gestures and the Roman Stage by C R Dodwell

Anglo-Saxon Gestures and the Roman Stage by C R Dodwell

This 1999 book is concerned with the pictorial language of gesture revealed in Anglo-Saxon art, and its debt to classical Rome. Reginald Dodwell was an eminent art historian and former Director of the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. In this, his last book, he notes a striking similarity of both form and meaning between Anglo-Saxon gestures and those in illustrated manuscripts of the plays of Terence. He presents evidence for dating the archetype of the Terence manuscripts to the mid-third century, and argues persuasively that their gestures reflect actual stage conventions. He identifies a repertory of eighteen Terentian gestures whose meaning can be ascertained from the dramatic contexts in which they occur, and conducts a detailed examination of the use of the gestures in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. The book, which is extensively illustrated, illuminates our understanding of the vigour of late Anglo-Saxon art and its ability to absorb and transpose continental influence.

"this book is of lasting importance for its analysis of the meaning of gestures in Old Comedy" CAA Reviews
"...Dodwell's book is both a richly suggestive source and a model of rigorous argumentation." Early Drama, Art & Music Review

C.R. Dodwell was formerly professor of the history of art at Manchester University and is the author of numerous books on early medieval art.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521034838
ISBN 10	0521034833
Title	Anglo-Saxon Gestures and the Roman Stage
Author	C R Dodwell
Series	Cambridge Studies In Anglo-Saxon England
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	2006-12-14
Number of pages	248
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.