Peatland paintings from the past: A picture of a wetland described by Philostratus the Elder (ca. 190–230 CE)

Abstract

Texts from ancient cultures provide valuable information on how past societies experienced peatlands and other wetlands. An ancient painting - which has not been preserved - displayed a mire within its landscape. Philostratus the Elder - who wrote a book on ancient Greek/Roman paintings - describes this piece of art with great admiration. This article presents and analyses the text in a wetland context.

Keywords

• ancient societies
• greek/roman art
• greek writings
• landscape
• wetland appreciation