debut: 2/16/17
35,084 runs
The Ancient World and my imagination
Earth is a really old planet. By perusing the permanent collections of the Museum of Art—The Indian Museum in Kolkata, the oldest and largest multifunctional museum in the Asia-Pacific area, I hoped to learn about a hitherto mysterious aspect of art history. Museum began in 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The 35 galleries are structured into divisions, each housing a unique collection of cultural and scientific items. reminds me of the old-fashioned "cabinet of curiosities" exhibits that used to be common ; those allowed visitors to study a wide range of fascinating artifacts from different time periods and civilizations, all while zeroing in on a particular topic. The Museum showcases artifacts from all over India, spanning from 5000 BCE to the early Common Era. They include human and animal figures, commonplace ceramics, metal tools, and glassware; representations of love and beauty ideals; depictions of entertainment, such as sports and theatre; funerary vessels and fragments of sarcophagi; depictions of religion, including illustrations of myths and rituals; and artifacts related to power and trade, such as warfare and seafaring.
The Syrian terracotta, made between 200 and 100 BCE, is inseparably bound to us by our common humanity and our shared need to laugh, in stark contrast to our own time and reality. In retrospect, the fact that the artifact came from Syria is a sobering reminder of the breadth and influence of the Hellenistic civilization, which extended from India to Spain, and of the impact that Hellenistic culture had on subsequent generations, all the way up until it was conquered by the Roman Empire and Republic. The modern theatre is seen as an important and enduring artifact of classical Greece, and more especially, of Athens. There is a lot of information about the political, social, and theological roots of tragedy in classical Greece, but far less about comedy. The only theory is that it might have had a more pastoral beginning, perhaps as a result of festivals that briefly upended social order. Coming from the Greek word "satyr," meaning wild and drunken woodland gods, the first plays poke fun at societal norms and practices. With a beard, an aged face, wine-clogged nostrils, and a wide open mouth in a good laugh, he mocks the world's hypocrisies and absurdities from the vantage point of venerable experience. This face is just somewhat far from the many offspring of Falstaff, the jester from Shakespeare who tells us where we are in the scheme of things. Looking closely, you could see holes cut into the top and sides of the face, maybe for straps or braided cord. These details make us picture an actor performing in a play where the aforementioned mask is worn, maybe one of the many plays that have been simply recognized and praised, such as Lysistrata or The Birds, two of Aristophanes' famous comedies.
A small marble sculpture, dating back to roughly 4300 BCE, may represent feminine beauty and is thus the earliest artifact on display. This piece takes us back in time to the Bronze Age, a period and civilization that our modern understanding of has only just started to touch upon, 2,200 years before the Trojan Wars. Cycladic figures like this one are common, so why we haven't figured out what they do or why they're important is baffling. They might be gods of ceremony or the home. One could argue that they are funerary effigies. Their small stature, ease of transport, and minimalist design are all important attributes. Although no philosophical relationship can be proven, its formal abstraction has been praised, studied, reproduced, and linked with modernist aspirations for decades.
Many aspects of old art seem modern, even if its creators may have had very different goals in mind, as art historians are fond of reminding us. Amazing Cycladic sculptures, like the one in this exhibition, do, however, prompt further questions: Then why are her arms crossed? For what reason is the carving perfectly symmetrical? Despite her absence of outwardly noticeable features, she seems self-aware and has a tendency to meet our eyes with an accusatory, if not maternal, tilt. As if she were trying to embarrass us in some way, symmetry both confers authority and inspires contempt. As you contemplate your mistake, you are nearly compelled to look away. All of these questions have to do with making the piece: Who sculpted it? Why? To whom? When did this happen? This work's ability to generate such powerful emotions, despite its age and simplicity, is a testament to its continuing mystique.
During the "Magna Graecia" period of Hellenistic dominance, I came across the most basic example, which was a simple illustration of four different kinds of fish. It is indicative of a culture that takes pride in its prosperity and ease of living. The pottery provide light on the clothes, roles, and occupations of ancient women, shedding light on their daily life. Standing there, a woman in an embroidered robe and cloak, who is going to pour wine, looks across at them. But what is it that is diverting her attention? Was another duty called for her attention, or was she asked to fetch another cup? In her veering off course, she could pass for any of us. For all time, this is a human moment that will captivate.
To this day, many people fail to recognize the vital role that "Exposures of this nature in the Ancient World" played. They teach us about whole fields and aspects of history about which we may know very little, including events from our high school social studies classes about which we remember very little. Objects that pique our attention pique our curiosity, open our minds to a world of possibilities, and encourage us to follow our passions even if they lead us down unexpected paths. In spite of our many cultural and chronological distinctions, their overarching goal is to highlight our common humanity. The best part is that people can go back to these museums and explore them again and again, always hoping to find something new or something they missed the first time around.
A French literary critic once said that when people see these kinds of exhibitions, they are invited to build their own personal exhibitions based on the works on display and the stories they come up with. Such are the types of memories that one ultimately takes with them into the future.
Some excerpts:
The Indian Museum in Kolkata intro...
Lysistrata ,The Birds, Aristophanes
Earth is a really old planet. By perusing the permanent collections of the Museum of Art—The Indian Museum in Kolkata, the oldest and largest multifunctional museum in the Asia-Pacific area, I hoped to learn about a hitherto mysterious aspect of art history. Museum began in 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The 35 galleries are structured into divisions, each housing a unique collection of cultural and scientific items. reminds me of the old-fashioned "cabinet of curiosities" exhibits that used to be common ; those allowed visitors to study a wide range of fascinating artifacts from different time periods and civilizations, all while zeroing in on a particular topic. The Museum showcases artifacts from all over India, spanning from 5000 BCE to the early Common Era. They include human and animal figures, commonplace ceramics, metal tools, and glassware; representations of love and beauty ideals; depictions of entertainment, such as sports and theatre; funerary vessels and fragments of sarcophagi; depictions of religion, including illustrations of myths and rituals; and artifacts related to power and trade, such as warfare and seafaring.
The Syrian terracotta, made between 200 and 100 BCE, is inseparably bound to us by our common humanity and our shared need to laugh, in stark contrast to our own time and reality. In retrospect, the fact that the artifact came from Syria is a sobering reminder of the breadth and influence of the Hellenistic civilization, which extended from India to Spain, and of the impact that Hellenistic culture had on subsequent generations, all the way up until it was conquered by the Roman Empire and Republic. The modern theatre is seen as an important and enduring artifact of classical Greece, and more especially, of Athens. There is a lot of information about the political, social, and theological roots of tragedy in classical Greece, but far less about comedy. The only theory is that it might have had a more pastoral beginning, perhaps as a result of festivals that briefly upended social order. Coming from the Greek word "satyr," meaning wild and drunken woodland gods, the first plays poke fun at societal norms and practices. With a beard, an aged face, wine-clogged nostrils, and a wide open mouth in a good laugh, he mocks the world's hypocrisies and absurdities from the vantage point of venerable experience. This face is just somewhat far from the many offspring of Falstaff, the jester from Shakespeare who tells us where we are in the scheme of things. Looking closely, you could see holes cut into the top and sides of the face, maybe for straps or braided cord. These details make us picture an actor performing in a play where the aforementioned mask is worn, maybe one of the many plays that have been simply recognized and praised, such as Lysistrata or The Birds, two of Aristophanes' famous comedies.
A small marble sculpture, dating back to roughly 4300 BCE, may represent feminine beauty and is thus the earliest artifact on display. This piece takes us back in time to the Bronze Age, a period and civilization that our modern understanding of has only just started to touch upon, 2,200 years before the Trojan Wars. Cycladic figures like this one are common, so why we haven't figured out what they do or why they're important is baffling. They might be gods of ceremony or the home. One could argue that they are funerary effigies. Their small stature, ease of transport, and minimalist design are all important attributes. Although no philosophical relationship can be proven, its formal abstraction has been praised, studied, reproduced, and linked with modernist aspirations for decades.
Many aspects of old art seem modern, even if its creators may have had very different goals in mind, as art historians are fond of reminding us. Amazing Cycladic sculptures, like the one in this exhibition, do, however, prompt further questions: Then why are her arms crossed? For what reason is the carving perfectly symmetrical? Despite her absence of outwardly noticeable features, she seems self-aware and has a tendency to meet our eyes with an accusatory, if not maternal, tilt. As if she were trying to embarrass us in some way, symmetry both confers authority and inspires contempt. As you contemplate your mistake, you are nearly compelled to look away. All of these questions have to do with making the piece: Who sculpted it? Why? To whom? When did this happen? This work's ability to generate such powerful emotions, despite its age and simplicity, is a testament to its continuing mystique.
During the "Magna Graecia" period of Hellenistic dominance, I came across the most basic example, which was a simple illustration of four different kinds of fish. It is indicative of a culture that takes pride in its prosperity and ease of living. The pottery provide light on the clothes, roles, and occupations of ancient women, shedding light on their daily life. Standing there, a woman in an embroidered robe and cloak, who is going to pour wine, looks across at them. But what is it that is diverting her attention? Was another duty called for her attention, or was she asked to fetch another cup? In her veering off course, she could pass for any of us. For all time, this is a human moment that will captivate.
To this day, many people fail to recognize the vital role that "Exposures of this nature in the Ancient World" played. They teach us about whole fields and aspects of history about which we may know very little, including events from our high school social studies classes about which we remember very little. Objects that pique our attention pique our curiosity, open our minds to a world of possibilities, and encourage us to follow our passions even if they lead us down unexpected paths. In spite of our many cultural and chronological distinctions, their overarching goal is to highlight our common humanity. The best part is that people can go back to these museums and explore them again and again, always hoping to find something new or something they missed the first time around.
A French literary critic once said that when people see these kinds of exhibitions, they are invited to build their own personal exhibitions based on the works on display and the stories they come up with. Such are the types of memories that one ultimately takes with them into the future.
Some excerpts:
The Indian Museum in Kolkata intro...
Lysistrata ,The Birds, Aristophanes
