Le miasme et l’oliban: L’odeur et les sens dans la réception de l’Antiquité //
The Fragrant and the Foul: the Smells and Senses of Antiquity in the Modern Imagination

International Conference IMAGINES, 18-20 Oct.2018, Toulouse

Organisers. : Adeline Grand-Clément (Université Toulouse 2-Jean Jaurès, IUF) ; Charlotte Ribeyrol (Université Paris-Sorbonne, IUF); Anna Guédon (Université Toulouse 2-Jean Jaurès)

Link to the Conference website
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Link to programme and abstracts
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Keynote speakers :
Mark Bradley (University of Nottingham)Catherine Maxwell (Queen Mary, University of London)
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The classical tradition has long confined Antiquity to an immaculate, sanitized whiteness : thus idealised, it was deprived of its multi-sensorial dimension, and conveniently limited to the visual paradigm. Olfaction, in particular, has often been overlooked in classical reception online paper writer online essay writer studies due to its evanescent nature which makes this sense difficult to apprehend. And yet, the smells associated with a given figure, or social group convey a rich imagery which conotes specific values : perfumes, scents and foul odours both reflect and mould the ways a society thinks or acts.

The aim of this conference will be to analyse the underexplored role of smell – both fair or foul – in relation to the other senses, in the modern rejection, reappraisal or idealisation of Antiquity. We will pay particular attention to the visual and performative arts especially when they engage a sensorial response from the reader or the viewer. We therefore invite contributions focusing not only on painting, literature, drama, and cinema but also on advertising, video games, television series, comic books and graphic novels, as well as on historical re-enactments which have recently helped reshape the perception online paper writer online essay writer and experience of the antique for a broader audience.

For any information, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Contact phone number: +33 5 61 50 36 74 (PLH administrative head)

Partners: University Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, University Paris IV – Sorbonne nouvelle, PLH-ERASME, The Institut universitaire de France, Occitanie region, Saint-Raymond museum, Les fées bottées