My project explores the development of the background in archaic and classical Greek art and the use of vertical spaces in ancient life. I focus on hanging objects, and my project is divided into two parts. Part one offers a revision of the history of perspective in Western art. I trace the invention and development of a Greek perspectival device: objects depicted suspended in the visual field which articulate a pictorial background by hanging from it. Part two contextualizes this perspectival device within ancient life: I bring together visual, literary, and archaeological evidence to argue that the hanging of objects was a cultural practice that structured and communicated information about space, time, and identity.