Siftar, Lucie
Das Phänomen der unvollständigen Gestalt in der griechischen Kunst: Unterschiedliche Facetten eines besonderen Darstellungsmittels
Daidalos, Volume 8
Although the ‘incomplete form’ is an element all so present within the narrative context of ancient Greek pictorial art, it has not yet received the attention it truly deserves. The systematic analysis of this phenomenon, notably on vase paintings, has shown that cutting-off a figure with a frame has to be understood as an intentional instrument, whose purpose was not only to save pictorial space but also to enlarge the action space. Regarding the principles of visual perception, incomplete forms could be used to convey special semantic information as well as to enhance the visual impact of the viewer.
