Imagines (work by Philostratus)
Imagines (Greek: Εἰκόνες) is a work in Ancient Greek in two volumes describing and explaining various artworks. The first volume (consisting of an introduction and 31 chapters) is generally attributed to Philostratus of Lemnos, or possibly to his more famous father-in-law Philostratus of Athens. The second volume (consisting of 34 chapters) is by the grandson of Philostratus of Lemnos, known as Philostratus the Younger.[1] It ostensibly describes 65 works of art seen by Philostratus in Naples. The entire work is framed in terms of explaining art, its symbols and meaning, to a young audience. The author of the work in the introduction states that the ten-year-old son of his host was the immediate cause of the composition of this work and that the author will structure the book and each of its chapters as if this boy is being addressed.
Notes
References
- Philostratus, Imagines, translated by Arthur Fairbanks, Loeb Classics Series, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts: 1931.