Abstract
The subject of this paper is Goethes poem 'Erklärung eines alten Holzschnittes vorstellend Hans Sachsens poetische Sendung, which should be read as an ekphrasis. This term indicates a rhetorical genre dealing with detailed descriptions, generally of images. First the poem is analysed using the rhetorical category evidentia, in order to determine how the text visualizes the imaginary woodcut. Then it is compared to a copper engraving that served as a frontispiece to an edition of Aesops fables from 1740. This picture may have been a visual model for the image created by the poetic description. The conclusion is that Goethes poem presents Sachs less as a medieval writer, but rather as a Renaissance poet by using an ancient genre and specific rhetoric strategies.
| Translated title of the contribution | "A big panel carved in wood". Goethe's 'explanation of an ancient woodcut representing Hans Sachs' poetical mission' read as ekphrasis |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Journal | Publications of the English Goethe Society |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 149-163 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISSN | 0959-3683 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01.10.2014 |
Research areas and keywords
- Science of art
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Literature and Literary Theory
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Dive into the research topics of '"A big panel carved in wood". Goethe's 'explanation of an ancient woodcut representing Hans Sachs' poetical mission' read as ekphrasis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Research output
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Charakterbilder und Projektionsfiguren: Chodowieckis Kupfer, Goethes Werther und die Darstellungstheorie in der Aufklärung
Schütz, A. C., 2019, Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag. 358 p. (Das achtzehnte Jahrhundert Supplementa ; vol. 26)Research output: Books and anthologies › Book
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