The ‘Meidum geese’ revisited: Early historical art is not a suitable basis for taxonomic speculation

Kirwan, Guy M.; Broughton, Richard K.; Lees, Alexander Charles; Ottenburghs, Jente; Tobias, Joe

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103322

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…While ancient illustrations can shed light on animal communities in the past (e.g. Guagnin et al 2016), the taxonomic identification of species in artwork is not a precise science ( Kirwan et al 2022). A recent study of Fourth Dynasty depictions of geese from the Chapel of Itet at Meidum employed a quantitative taxonomic method and postulated the possible discovery of an unknown, extinct species (Romilio 2021).…”

Section: Problems Of Artistic Licencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study of Fourth Dynasty depictions of geese from the Chapel of Itet at Meidum employed a quantitative taxonomic method and postulated the possible discovery of an unknown, extinct species (Romilio 2021). Kirwan and colleagues (2022), however, question the application of the technique and argue for intraspecific variation (variation among individuals of the same species) in the case of the red-breasted goose ( Branta ruficollis ). Citing a failure to take into account “problems of artistic license”, they question whether “it is possible or even advisable to diagnose species based on illustrations alone, especially unique depictions of artists of unknown credentials” (Kirwan et al 2022: 2).…”

Section: Problems Of Artistic Licencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Pigeons and papyrus at Amarna: the birds of the Green Room revisited

Stimpson

Kemp

2022

Antiquity

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Ancient Egyptian art features many carefully observed depictions of wild animals and birds. A famous example is the late Eighteenth Dynasty (fourteenth-century BC) wall paintings of the Green Room in the North Palace at Amarna, where naturalistic depictions of birds feature prominently. Their taxonomic identity, however, is not resolved in all cases. Here, the authors revisit the facsimiles produced in the 1920s by Nina de Garis Davies. Mindful of previous works, taphonomy and the interplay between naturalistic observation and artistic licence, they employ ornithological resources to conduct a qualitative assessment and propose a parsimonious scheme of identifications, relating the results to long-standing questions concerning ecological and stylistic aspects in the artwork.

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Section: Problems Of Artistic Licencementioning

confidence: 99%