The Origins of Monsters

Image and Cognition in the First Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology, Art & Architecture, Art History, History
Cover of the book The Origins of Monsters by David Wengrow, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David Wengrow ISBN: 9781400848867
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: November 24, 2013
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: David Wengrow
ISBN: 9781400848867
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: November 24, 2013
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

It has often been claimed that "monsters"--supernatural creatures with bodies composed from multiple species--play a significant part in the thought and imagery of all people from all times. The Origins of Monsters advances an alternative view. Composite figurations are intriguingly rare and isolated in the art of the prehistoric era. Instead it was with the rise of cities, elites, and cosmopolitan trade networks that "monsters" became widespread features of visual production in the ancient world. Showing how these fantastic images originated and how they were transmitted, David Wengrow identifies patterns in the records of human image-making and embarks on a search for connections between mind and culture.

Wengrow asks: Can cognitive science explain the potency of such images? Does evolutionary psychology hold a key to understanding the transmission of symbols? How is our making and perception of images influenced by institutions and technologies? Wengrow considers the work of art in the first age of mechanical reproduction, which he locates in the Middle East, where urban life began. Comparing the development and spread of fantastic imagery across a range of prehistoric and ancient societies, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and China, he explores how the visual imagination has been shaped by a complex mixture of historical and universal factors.

Examining the reasons behind the dissemination of monstrous imagery in ancient states and empires, The Origins of Monsters sheds light on the relationship between culture and cognition.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

It has often been claimed that "monsters"--supernatural creatures with bodies composed from multiple species--play a significant part in the thought and imagery of all people from all times. The Origins of Monsters advances an alternative view. Composite figurations are intriguingly rare and isolated in the art of the prehistoric era. Instead it was with the rise of cities, elites, and cosmopolitan trade networks that "monsters" became widespread features of visual production in the ancient world. Showing how these fantastic images originated and how they were transmitted, David Wengrow identifies patterns in the records of human image-making and embarks on a search for connections between mind and culture.

Wengrow asks: Can cognitive science explain the potency of such images? Does evolutionary psychology hold a key to understanding the transmission of symbols? How is our making and perception of images influenced by institutions and technologies? Wengrow considers the work of art in the first age of mechanical reproduction, which he locates in the Middle East, where urban life began. Comparing the development and spread of fantastic imagery across a range of prehistoric and ancient societies, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and China, he explores how the visual imagination has been shaped by a complex mixture of historical and universal factors.

Examining the reasons behind the dissemination of monstrous imagery in ancient states and empires, The Origins of Monsters sheds light on the relationship between culture and cognition.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book The Global Remapping of American Literature by David Wengrow
Cover of the book The Historical Jesus in Context by David Wengrow
Cover of the book Jews and the Military by David Wengrow
Cover of the book City of the Good by David Wengrow
Cover of the book Corrupted into Song by David Wengrow
Cover of the book Academic Instincts by David Wengrow
Cover of the book State and Commonwealth by David Wengrow
Cover of the book The Battle of Bretton Woods by David Wengrow
Cover of the book Good and Plenty by David Wengrow
Cover of the book American Crucible by David Wengrow
Cover of the book A Savage War by David Wengrow
Cover of the book Radon Transforms and the Rigidity of the Grassmannians (AM-156) by David Wengrow
Cover of the book Kierkegaard's Writings, XIV, Volume 14 by David Wengrow
Cover of the book The Best Writing on Mathematics 2011 by David Wengrow
Cover of the book The First Fossil Hunters by David Wengrow
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy