Abstract

The most basic form of ekphrasis is made up of simple denotations as the zero degree of description. It is the case of the specific citation of a painting in a text, which is often reduced to a mere denomination of the work. However, it is obvious that there is not a zero degree of ekphrasis just as there is not a zero degree of painting. Denotation is anything but an impartial process, above all when reference is made to ancient artworks of difficult or dubious interpretation or abstract paintings, whose meanings depend directly on their title. It also has to be borne in mind that even a mere denotation evokes something in the beholder/reader.