Martin Robertson and Mary Beard’s manuscript, Adopting an Approach, focuses on the study of Athenian pottery. The manuscript begins, by describing Sir John Beazley and his revolutionary method of studying Greek vases. The Beazley Method focuses on the technical conventions of Greek Vases such as naming the artist, dating the pieces and then grouping them based off of similar characteristics. Beazley “provided for the first time a comprehensive framework of analysis for Athenian painting, and a way of dating and classifying.” (Pg. 16) However, what Beard’s main argument suggests is that it is not the artists that help us understand the importance of the vases because even if a vase is assigned to a specific time period or artist, there is …show more content…

In addition, Beard clearly states what he believes is the problem with the Beazley method, and why it is not enough to fully understand the importance of Greek Vases. While Beazley’s method is explained so clearly, on the other hand, the main argument and what Beard’s new method entails is not states so clearly, in fact I was not able to fully understand everything until I read the very last concluding paragraph. I think that is a necessary change that would have to be made before publication. The reader should be able to understand the main argument, prior to finishing the entire manuscript. Beard’s makes her personal claim much too subtly; a clear thesis would have been helpful. For the purpose of this manuscript being suitable for the Undergraduates Guide to Art History, Beard mentions many aspects of Athenian pottery, such as black and red figure, that are important to understand. I think this essay should be published, with a few modifications, because it elaborates on ideas and important aspects of Athenian art. Rather than just talking about what black and red figure is as a painting style, we get to understand the importance of the painting style, which is the figure. The humans painted on these vases are the most important aspect and “all attention is concentrated on the figures of men, women and their Olympian counterparts.”
Adopting an Approach, should be published in the Undergraduate’s guide to Art History, because it gives so