Elizabeth Bolman | Case Western Reserve University (original) (raw)
Papers by Elizabeth Bolman
The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Art and Architecture, 2021
Early Byzantine artists (active ca. fourth–early eighth century) continued to employ traditional ... more Early Byzantine artists (active ca. fourth–early eighth century) continued to employ traditional Roman techniques. In most of the empire, they painted on wet plaster (fresco) but in Egypt they applied pigments onto dry plaster (secco) using bonding agents of animal protein (tempera) or molten wax (encaustic). By far the largest number of surviving wall paintings from this period is found in Egypt, especially in desert monasteries and burial grounds. Painted buildings also survive in the city of Ephesus (Turkey), as well in other sites scattered across the empire. Although regional styles probably existed, too little survives to identify their characteristics. Instead, the extant paintings indicate considerable unity in in both styles and subjects.
Papers are allocated 15 minutes, followed by 30-minute discussion for each session. 1. Session 10... more Papers are allocated 15 minutes, followed by 30-minute discussion for each session. 1. Session 1003 (Wednesday, 4 July 2018, 09:00-10:30) Moving Byzantium I: Methods, Tools and Concepts across Disciplines Organizer: Claudia RAPP University of Vienna / Austrian Academy of Sciences Introduction and Moderator: Claudia RAPP (Leader, Moving Byzantium Project) The Wittgenstein-Prize Project “Mobility, Microstructures and Personal Agency” The project Moving Byzantium highlights the role of Byzantium as a global culture and analyses the internal flexibility of Byzantine society. It aims to contribute to a re-evaluation of a society and culture that has traditionally been depicted as stiff, rigid, and encumbered by its own tradition. This will be achieved by the exploration of issues of mobility, microstructures, and personal agency. In this session, new approaches to these questions from the perspectives of digital humanities (including HGIS and network theory), social history, archaeology ...
Heritage Science, 2021
Attribution of paintings is a critical problem in art history. This study extends machine learnin... more Attribution of paintings is a critical problem in art history. This study extends machine learning analysis to surface topography of painted works. A controlled study of positive attribution was designed with paintings produced by a class of art students. The paintings were scanned using a chromatic confocal optical profilometer to produce surface height data. The surface data were divided into virtual patches and used to train an ensemble of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for attribution. Over a range of square patch sizes from 0.5 to 60 mm, the resulting attribution was found to be 60–96% accurate, and, when comparing regions of different color, was nearly twice as accurate as CNNs using color images of the paintings. Remarkably, short length scales, even as small as a bristle diameter, were the key to reliably distinguishing among artists. These results show promise for real-world attribution, particularly in the case of workshop practice.
The Journal of Theological Studies, 2021
The Yale Monastic Archaeology Project (YMAP) sponsors surveys and excavations at two Coptic monas... more The Yale Monastic Archaeology Project (YMAP) sponsors surveys and excavations at two Coptic monastic sites in Egypt: the Monastery of St. John the Little in Wādī al-Nātrūn and the White Monastery at Sohag. Excavation work at the Monastery of St. John the Little has yielded evidence related to everyday life in a monastic dwelling, including wall paintings, dipinti (painted inscriptions), and the remains of foodstuffs from several kitchens. Archaeological analysis at the White Monastery has focused on a recently discovered tomb and funerary chapel associated with the early monastic leader Shenoute of Atripe. This article introduces readers to these recent findings and discusses their implications for our understanding of life and death in late ancient and early medieval Egyptian monasteries.
Bulletin De La Societe D Archeologie Copte, 2009
Art and Liturgy at St Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai, 2010
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, 2012
The White Monastery Federation was an ancient confederation of three monasteries located on the w... more The White Monastery Federation was an ancient confederation of three monasteries located on the western bank of the Nile, across from the city of Panopolis (Akhmim), about 10 km from modern Sohag. Keywords: archaeology; Christianity; churches; cultural history; Egyptian history; Late Antiquity; religious history
The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 2000
references to fruits, vegetables, wine and poultry, as well as a number of other items; it is str... more references to fruits, vegetables, wine and poultry, as well as a number of other items; it is strange that there is no mention of sheep or cattle. This is followed by a discussion of the different measures found in the account. The most remarkable feature is that the uo nov, the measure used for sub-divisions of the artaba and which is ubiquitous throughout the account, represents 1110of an artaba in income accounts but approximately l/23 of an artaba in expenditure accounts. A detailed list of prices follows and notes on valuation, i.e. the widespread use of substitution in payments, for which the terms EK'tt/ll1<HC; and n/l" are used, as well as other means of expression. In the following pages Bagnall lists the various persons and places attested. The landlord was a certain Faustianus, son of Aquila, who employed several agents; some, if not all, of these were npovonrci., including the writer. Most important is the section headed 'The Estate' (pp. 7680), in which Bagnall seeks to draw together the evidence discussed in the previous sections. The introduction concludes with a brief note on religion: inter alia the account is headed XMr, the earliest datable reference to its occurrence, and there are references to payments for ayanl1 and to a Tonoc Mcvi, presumably a Manichaean monastery. The text and translation (on facing pages) is followed by some 40 pages of line notes. Bagnall devotes a good deal of these to valiant attempts to understand the arithmetic and the correspondence between different sections. Often, however, he has to confess himself defeated, and it seems clear that the compiler of the account was less careful than we might have expected. I would also draw attention to Bagnall's many interesting comments on different words and phrases: line 57 on KeAAa, 61 on OVl1, 100 on opvi.etOC;, 345-7 on uopoKa8ap't"c;, 348-52 on n'teptcr't"c;, 612-14 on Kpa~anov, 682-3 on EV anetpC\>, 1269 on KAt~avoc; [on which see also Emanuela Battaglia, Artos, 146-51], 1712-26 on eop'ti] cl>ap/lou8t (Easter?). The sole reference to linen is in line 292; note also the occurrence of unripe dates (EVOO/la) in 1505. Bagnall has added an appendix, in which he gives a list of commodity prices, updating the information supplied in his Currency and Inflation (1985). Just occasionally there are odd errors which seem to arise from an earlier recension and which have not been eliminated in the final version. This is most noticeable with reference to the measure used in the cotton accounts. It is usually abbreviated At8( ), which Bagnall discusses on pp. 50-1, opting for the expansion Ai.e(O<;), an unknown but intelligible measure, rather than At8(pa) for At'tpa. But in lines 721-3 (contrast 547-60,724-5 and 1484-91) the text still reads Ai.e(pat). In line 1603 the text has (correctly) Meoopn (the month) whereas the note refers to Mesobe (a place name occurring elsewhere in KAB). In the discussion of the various possible meanings of /ltcr8oC; (83 n.), it is wrongly said to be used of onions (xpeuuctc) in 1279. Since in 98 EAatO( ) could be an abbreviation not of EAatOV but of a compound (as Bagnall recognises), there would seem to be no clear instance of its being used of 'consumable foodstuffs' in KAB. This may affect his suggestion (83 n.) that /ltcr8oC; can sometimes mean 'price'; note also that in 1524/ltcr8oC; is translated 'price' but the note treats it as meaning 'wages'. /ltcr8oC; Eoa<jlwv is discussed in the note to line 11, where it does not occur, instead of the note to line 23. This is an excellent edition of a fascinating document, characterised throughout by balanced judgement and sensible comments. Many of Bagnall's suggestions are, of course, no more than probabilities or even possibilities, as he makes very clear, especially on pp. 76-80. It is to be hoped that when this account is used, as it is sure to be extensively, by economic historians and others who are not papyrologists, a similar caution will be observed. J. DAVID THOMAS
Bulletin De La Societe D Archeologie Copte, 2009
The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Art and Architecture, 2021
Early Byzantine artists (active ca. fourth–early eighth century) continued to employ traditional ... more Early Byzantine artists (active ca. fourth–early eighth century) continued to employ traditional Roman techniques. In most of the empire, they painted on wet plaster (fresco) but in Egypt they applied pigments onto dry plaster (secco) using bonding agents of animal protein (tempera) or molten wax (encaustic). By far the largest number of surviving wall paintings from this period is found in Egypt, especially in desert monasteries and burial grounds. Painted buildings also survive in the city of Ephesus (Turkey), as well in other sites scattered across the empire. Although regional styles probably existed, too little survives to identify their characteristics. Instead, the extant paintings indicate considerable unity in in both styles and subjects.
Papers are allocated 15 minutes, followed by 30-minute discussion for each session. 1. Session 10... more Papers are allocated 15 minutes, followed by 30-minute discussion for each session. 1. Session 1003 (Wednesday, 4 July 2018, 09:00-10:30) Moving Byzantium I: Methods, Tools and Concepts across Disciplines Organizer: Claudia RAPP University of Vienna / Austrian Academy of Sciences Introduction and Moderator: Claudia RAPP (Leader, Moving Byzantium Project) The Wittgenstein-Prize Project “Mobility, Microstructures and Personal Agency” The project Moving Byzantium highlights the role of Byzantium as a global culture and analyses the internal flexibility of Byzantine society. It aims to contribute to a re-evaluation of a society and culture that has traditionally been depicted as stiff, rigid, and encumbered by its own tradition. This will be achieved by the exploration of issues of mobility, microstructures, and personal agency. In this session, new approaches to these questions from the perspectives of digital humanities (including HGIS and network theory), social history, archaeology ...
Heritage Science, 2021
Attribution of paintings is a critical problem in art history. This study extends machine learnin... more Attribution of paintings is a critical problem in art history. This study extends machine learning analysis to surface topography of painted works. A controlled study of positive attribution was designed with paintings produced by a class of art students. The paintings were scanned using a chromatic confocal optical profilometer to produce surface height data. The surface data were divided into virtual patches and used to train an ensemble of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for attribution. Over a range of square patch sizes from 0.5 to 60 mm, the resulting attribution was found to be 60–96% accurate, and, when comparing regions of different color, was nearly twice as accurate as CNNs using color images of the paintings. Remarkably, short length scales, even as small as a bristle diameter, were the key to reliably distinguishing among artists. These results show promise for real-world attribution, particularly in the case of workshop practice.
The Journal of Theological Studies, 2021
The Yale Monastic Archaeology Project (YMAP) sponsors surveys and excavations at two Coptic monas... more The Yale Monastic Archaeology Project (YMAP) sponsors surveys and excavations at two Coptic monastic sites in Egypt: the Monastery of St. John the Little in Wādī al-Nātrūn and the White Monastery at Sohag. Excavation work at the Monastery of St. John the Little has yielded evidence related to everyday life in a monastic dwelling, including wall paintings, dipinti (painted inscriptions), and the remains of foodstuffs from several kitchens. Archaeological analysis at the White Monastery has focused on a recently discovered tomb and funerary chapel associated with the early monastic leader Shenoute of Atripe. This article introduces readers to these recent findings and discusses their implications for our understanding of life and death in late ancient and early medieval Egyptian monasteries.
Bulletin De La Societe D Archeologie Copte, 2009
Art and Liturgy at St Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai, 2010
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, 2012
The White Monastery Federation was an ancient confederation of three monasteries located on the w... more The White Monastery Federation was an ancient confederation of three monasteries located on the western bank of the Nile, across from the city of Panopolis (Akhmim), about 10 km from modern Sohag. Keywords: archaeology; Christianity; churches; cultural history; Egyptian history; Late Antiquity; religious history
The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 2000
references to fruits, vegetables, wine and poultry, as well as a number of other items; it is str... more references to fruits, vegetables, wine and poultry, as well as a number of other items; it is strange that there is no mention of sheep or cattle. This is followed by a discussion of the different measures found in the account. The most remarkable feature is that the uo nov, the measure used for sub-divisions of the artaba and which is ubiquitous throughout the account, represents 1110of an artaba in income accounts but approximately l/23 of an artaba in expenditure accounts. A detailed list of prices follows and notes on valuation, i.e. the widespread use of substitution in payments, for which the terms EK'tt/ll1<HC; and n/l" are used, as well as other means of expression. In the following pages Bagnall lists the various persons and places attested. The landlord was a certain Faustianus, son of Aquila, who employed several agents; some, if not all, of these were npovonrci., including the writer. Most important is the section headed 'The Estate' (pp. 7680), in which Bagnall seeks to draw together the evidence discussed in the previous sections. The introduction concludes with a brief note on religion: inter alia the account is headed XMr, the earliest datable reference to its occurrence, and there are references to payments for ayanl1 and to a Tonoc Mcvi, presumably a Manichaean monastery. The text and translation (on facing pages) is followed by some 40 pages of line notes. Bagnall devotes a good deal of these to valiant attempts to understand the arithmetic and the correspondence between different sections. Often, however, he has to confess himself defeated, and it seems clear that the compiler of the account was less careful than we might have expected. I would also draw attention to Bagnall's many interesting comments on different words and phrases: line 57 on KeAAa, 61 on OVl1, 100 on opvi.etOC;, 345-7 on uopoKa8ap't"c;, 348-52 on n'teptcr't"c;, 612-14 on Kpa~anov, 682-3 on EV anetpC\>, 1269 on KAt~avoc; [on which see also Emanuela Battaglia, Artos, 146-51], 1712-26 on eop'ti] cl>ap/lou8t (Easter?). The sole reference to linen is in line 292; note also the occurrence of unripe dates (EVOO/la) in 1505. Bagnall has added an appendix, in which he gives a list of commodity prices, updating the information supplied in his Currency and Inflation (1985). Just occasionally there are odd errors which seem to arise from an earlier recension and which have not been eliminated in the final version. This is most noticeable with reference to the measure used in the cotton accounts. It is usually abbreviated At8( ), which Bagnall discusses on pp. 50-1, opting for the expansion Ai.e(O<;), an unknown but intelligible measure, rather than At8(pa) for At'tpa. But in lines 721-3 (contrast 547-60,724-5 and 1484-91) the text still reads Ai.e(pat). In line 1603 the text has (correctly) Meoopn (the month) whereas the note refers to Mesobe (a place name occurring elsewhere in KAB). In the discussion of the various possible meanings of /ltcr8oC; (83 n.), it is wrongly said to be used of onions (xpeuuctc) in 1279. Since in 98 EAatO( ) could be an abbreviation not of EAatOV but of a compound (as Bagnall recognises), there would seem to be no clear instance of its being used of 'consumable foodstuffs' in KAB. This may affect his suggestion (83 n.) that /ltcr8oC; can sometimes mean 'price'; note also that in 1524/ltcr8oC; is translated 'price' but the note treats it as meaning 'wages'. /ltcr8oC; Eoa<jlwv is discussed in the note to line 11, where it does not occur, instead of the note to line 23. This is an excellent edition of a fascinating document, characterised throughout by balanced judgement and sensible comments. Many of Bagnall's suggestions are, of course, no more than probabilities or even possibilities, as he makes very clear, especially on pp. 76-80. It is to be hoped that when this account is used, as it is sure to be extensively, by economic historians and others who are not papyrologists, a similar caution will be observed. J. DAVID THOMAS
Bulletin De La Societe D Archeologie Copte, 2009
Dumbarton Oaks Papers 65-66 (2011-12): 333-364, 2011
Dumbarton Oaks …, Jan 1, 2004
A synopsis of the archaeological surveys and excavations, architectural documentation, and art co... more A synopsis of the archaeological surveys and excavations, architectural documentation, and art conservation conducted at the White Monastery in Sohag, Egypt, from 2005 to 2010.
Seventy years ago Sirarpie Der Nersessian published a translation into French of a little known A... more Seventy years ago Sirarpie Der Nersessian published a translation into French of a little known Armenian treatise in defence of icons. Claimed by some to be the earliest example of this genre of writing to survive intact and imagined by others to have had a decisive influence on the theology of John of Damascus, it remains fundamentally unstudied. “Concerning Iconoclasm” is an extraordinary seventh-century treatise in support of the veneration of holy images. The author offers an extended argument (against an unnamed opponent) with ample textual citations from biblical and historical sources. This work offers a robust sense of the position of images within contemporary theology and culture. It also offers precious insight into a range of issues, including the relations (particularly regarding image-making) between the Armenians and Byzantines, and regarding the subject matter, and materials used to make, paintings.
Amid the flood of icon studies in recent decades, Vrt‘anēs’ contribution goes unexamined and virtually unmentioned. It is the purpose of the present Workshop to offer to the scholarly community a fresh translation into English of this critical document and to open the field to new scholarship, to which the scholars mentioned below cordially were invited to contribute from their own valuable background in the field.
The new translation prepared by Christina Maranci, Arthur H. Dadian and Ara T. Oztemel Chair of Art History, Tufts University, with Theo Maarten van Lint, Calouste Gulbenkian Chair of Armenian Studies at the University of Oxford, will be circulated in advance among the contributing participants. The place of the treatise in the history of the Armenian language and literature, the theological premises of its argument in the debate among Orthodox and Monophysite theologians, its background in earlier writings – Jewish, pagan and Christian – its contribution to the Byzantine dialogue on icon cult and its long-range impact on the history of art will all be under discussion in the two day conference.
The workshop will convene at Pembroke College, University of Oxford 30-31 October as part of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Calouste Gulbenkian Professorship of Armenian Studies at the University of Oxford.
The workshop is convened by: Dr Jaś Elsner, Professor Thomas F. Mathews, Professor Christina Maranci, and Professor Theo Maarten van Lint.
The workshop is hosted by Theo van Lint, incumbent of the Calouste Gulbenkian Professorship of Armenian Studies and Fellow of Pembroke College, University of Oxford.
The workshop is made possible by a grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.