Rethinking The Haptics Of Graeco Roman Visual Culture

Getting to Grips with Classical Art

Rethinking the haptics of Graeco-Roman visual culture

The sense of touch is often overlooked when discussing art, but it is just as important as sight and sound in creating an immersive experience. This is especially true for classical art, where the physical qualities of the materials used and the way they were crafted can tell us a great deal about the culture that produced them. In her book Getting to Grips with Classical Art, Verity Platt explores the haptics of Graeco-Roman visual culture, arguing that the sense of touch was an integral part of the way people experienced and understood art in the ancient world. She examines a wide range of objects, from sculptures and paintings to mosaics and textiles, to show how they were designed to be touched and how this affected their meaning. Platt's book is a groundbreaking study that sheds new light on the role of the sense of touch in classical art. It is essential reading for anyone interested in art history, archaeology, or sensory studies.