Yael Young | The Open University of Israel (original) (raw)

Papers by Yael Young

Frames and Framing in Antiquity II. Selected Papers from the Second Frames and Framing in Antiquity Conference, 17–19 October 2021.Supplements to the Journal of Ancient Civilizations, vol. 10, edited by Elisabeth and Sven Günther, 2023

Journal of Greco-Roman Studies, vol.62, no.1, pp.1 - 30, 2023

【Key words】Siphnian Treasury, choral performance, gigantomachy, Greek vase painting 【Abstract】The... more 【Key words】Siphnian Treasury, choral performance, gigantomachy, Greek vase painting 【Abstract】The focus of this article is the giants depicted in the north frieze of the Siphnian Treasury at Delphi. I suggest that these giants can be viewed as representing a chorus, exhibiting the main characteristics of pictorial choruses featured on Athenian vase paintings. Instead of fighting in duels or in trios, the giants are organized in a unique phalanx formation-a structure indicating regimented movement, which is a key feature of pictorial choruses. Additional key features paralleling those of choral depictions in vase paintings include the giants' uniform costume and their "alien" identity. The frieze was highly visible to pilgrims ascending and descending the Sacred Way, and they therefore engaged with its chorality, which perhaps served to transform them into active religious participants. In this, the image of the giants adorning the Siphnian treasury's north frieze was very well suited to the sanctuary at Delphi, where choral performances were both a common sight and an important part of the ritual-considered, in fact, an offering to the gods.

Greece & Rome, 70.1, 71–99, 2023

The article examines the relationship of women and the objects surrounding them in the light of t... more The article examines the relationship of women and the objects surrounding them in the light of the term 'affordance'. Coined by psychologist James J. Gibson, the term refers to the potentialities held by an object for a particular set of actions, stemming from its material properties. Through focusing on two case studies in which women use mundane objects (mainly pins and pestles) in violent situations-(a) stories (told by Herodotus and Euripides) about women attacking with pins, and (b) a group of vases representing women attacking with pestlesthe article seeks to uncover a fundamental aspect of the engagement of women with the objects surrounding them, as envisioned by the men creating the literature and art. Deprived of almost any access to real weapons, these women are depicted as turning to objects in their immediate environment. Perceiving the affordances of these objects, stemming from their shape and material and the inherent potentialities for action, the women make use of them in acts of self-defence, anger, or revenge.

in: E. Günther - M. Sauer (ed.), Material Image: Affordances as a New Approach to Visual Culture Studies. Art Style, Art & Culture International Magazine 7, 2021

The article examines a group of images on Athenian ceramic vases in which pointed amphorae are de... more The article examines a group of images on Athenian ceramic vases in which pointed amphorae are depicted in various usages. This iconography appears primarily in the contexts of both the symposium and the komos, whose participants, along with members of the Dionysian thiasos, are shown sitting, leaning, playing, beating, and masturbating with this vessel. The utilization of this specific mundane object in such a manner is explored in light of psychologist James J. Gibson's term 'affordance', which refers to the potentialities held by an object for a particular set of actions, stemming from its material properties. Two additional terms, discussed by Beth Preston, that may help in analyzing the images are 'proper function' referring to the normative usage of objects, and 'system function', referring to the unorthodox usage of objects. The affordances of the amphora, stemming from its shape and material and the inherent potentialities for action, are perceived and exploited by the users. Though not from the outset designed as a chair, a toy, or a sexual device, in the hands of these figures and within the specific space of the symposium and the komos, the ordinary pointed amphora takes on those functions. Thanks to the Athenian vase painters, we are able to register and visualize latent affordances of the amphora that previously lay out of sight. It seems that in the context of the Athenian symposium and komos, what matters is the possibilities for action and that they be stretched to the maximum.

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATION, 2020

The article examines a series of images on Athenian ceramic vases in which sandals are depicted a... more The article examines a series of images on Athenian ceramic vases in which sandals are depicted as a hitting implement. This iconographic motif appears mainly in two contexts: educational scenes, where an adult hits a subordinate, and erotic scenes, where the hitting action is almost always performed by males upon female prostitutes. The utilisation of this specific mundane object, rather than equally available others, for these violent acts is explored in light of psychologist James J. Gibson's term "affordance", which refers to the potentialities held by an object for a particular set of actions, stemming from its material properties. I suggest that the choice of the sandal is not arbitrary: it supports these aggressors' desire to cause pain to those of lower status, thereby controlling and humiliating them. The affordances of the sandal, stemming from its shape and material and the inherent potentialities for action, are perceived and exploited by the hitters. Though not designed as a hitting implement, in the hands of these privileged figures in these specific situations, the mundane, ordinary sandal becomes the medium, a social agent, by which their control attains physical embodiment. Thanks to the Athenian vase painters, we are able to register and visualise latent affordances of the sandal that previously lay out of sight. It seems that in the context of Athenian society, the supposed dichotomy between the ordinary usage and the extraordinary violent usage of the sandal collapses. In this particular case, hitting with a sandal seems as ordinary as donning it in everyday use.

Hyperboreus 26.1, 2020

This work examines visual representations of aryballoi and their hangers. Both items are always d... more This work examines visual representations of aryballoi and their hangers. Both items are always depicted together, thus creating a unified entity, that is, separate objects that operate as a unit. Although the aryballos – a small vase primarily employed in a masculine context – is quite conveniently designed for carrying directly in the hand, it is nevertheless always depicted attached to its hanger, and this affects its handling. A comparative case is brought: the alabastron, a vase primarily employed in feminine contexts. Though bearing formal features similar to the aryballos, in visual representations we see the alabastron being handled very differently, mostly through direct contact and not with a hanger. This leads to the conclusion that vase painters actively gendered vases not only according to type, but even by handling. The combination of aryballos and hanger enables more freedom of movement than the alabastron alone, symbolizing the greater freedom enjoyed by men of the time; while the association of alabastron with women perhaps points to their corresponding lack of freedom. These paintings thus encapsulate and symbolize the differences between the sexes.

In: The Ancient Throne. Liat Naeh – Dana Brostowsky Gilboa (Eds.), 2020

This article focuses on images of thrones depicted in scenes connected to the Greek gods. Most of... more This article focuses on images of thrones depicted in scenes connected to the Greek gods. Most of them decorate Archaic Attic black-figure vases, but two Archaic reliefs are also discussed. The purpose is to examine the function of the throne within a certain scene. What does it signify? Should it always be understood in the same way? The article is divided into three sections: (A) depictions of a single throne in a certain scene, (B) depictions of two thrones in a certain scene, and (C) thrones juxtaposed with other types of seats in a certain scene. In most cases, especially when it appears as the only seating object in the scene, the throne signifies the high, privileged status and power of the figure occupying it, differentiating him or her from the other participants. This is true also for the depiction of two thrones. However, when juxtaposed with other types of seats, the throne’s function as a rigid sign differentiating a certain figure within the image is
questioned.

Mouseion Series III, Vol. 16 , 2019

/Résumé

Shoes, Slippers and Sandals Feet and Footwear in Classical Antiquity Edited By Sadie Pickup, Sally Waite, 2019

Mouseion, Series III, Vol. 14, 2017

This article focuses on the images of the cuirasses from Polygnotos’ lost painting, the Iliupersi... more This article focuses on the images of the cuirasses from Polygnotos’ lost painting, the Iliupersis. I argue, based on a scrupulous reading of Pausanias’ detailed recreation of the painting, that Polygnotos painted two different types of body armour in his painting. One is the bronze bell cuirass, an old-fashioned panoply item in his day, and the second is the contemporary composite corselet. The visual juxtaposition of the anachronistic and the contemporary panoply items is intentional. It enabled Polygnotos to add complexity to his painting and to compel the viewer to historical awareness. Similar visual juxtaposition occurs also in vase paintings, proving that this visual practice is not an isolated, idiosyncratic creation, but rather a visual manifestation of the way the Greeks perceived and presented their past.

Source. Notes in the History of Art, 2015

Logeion, 2013

The focus of this article is the visual phenomenon of Chalkidian helmets decorated with artificia... more The focus of this article is the visual phenomenon of Chalkidian helmets decorated with artificial hair on the forehead, an image first seen on Athenian red-figure vases at the turn of the sixth century. I argue that the decision of vase-painters to add this decorative element to helmets, and thus humanize them, was influenced by the developing Athenian theatre in general, and the use of theatrical mask in particular. The interpretation is based on visual and textual evidence that suggests a conceptual relationship between the hoplite in the phalanx and the member of dramatic chorus. This interpretation has far-reaching implications. It opens new directions in considering the influence that the theatre had on Athenian vase-painters and helps to resolve the absence of explicit theatrical scenes from the corpus of vase paintings.