Posted by Editors on May 15, 2010 · Leave a Comment
I have two contributions in Aurora: The Journal of the History of Art, vol. XI, to be published in November of 2010. First, my article “The Elephant in the Living Room: Jan Steen’s Fantasy Interior as Parodic Portrait of the Schoutens.” Here’s a synopsis: The Dutch painter Jan Steen (ca. 1626–79) is well known for his topsy-turvy comic … Continue reading →
Posted by Editors on June 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment
For those who might be interested, my latest article, “The Wise Man has Two Tongues: Images of The Satyr and the Peasant by Jordaens and Steen,” will appear in Myth in History, History in Myth, volume 182 in Brill’s Studies in Intellectual History series. It is due out in August of 2009. Here’s the article abstract: “In … Continue reading →
Category Antiquity, Art, Baroque, Comedy, Culture, History, Iconography, Mythology · Tagged with Aesop's Fables, carnival, communitas, Dutch Art, Dutch History, Dutch Painting, E.J. Brill, Flemish Art, Flemish Painting, Jacob Jordaens, Jan Steen, Myth in History: History in Myth, Peasant, Renaissance Humanism, Satyr
Posted by Editors on August 26, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Ajax’s Tale When Ajax in his shining armor, out to battle flew Friend and enemy alike would rush to read his cue His height a tower, his might a wonder They loved him soul and sinew When fabled Achilles refused to fight Brave Ajax took his place Alone, Ajax of Salamis Rose to meet … Continue reading →
Posted by Editors on July 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Postscript to Noah’s Rainbow: the Epistle to Diognetus In my web travels today, I came upon the Early Christian “Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus,” dated to approximately 130-200 AD. You can read the full letter here. And, nice explanations of it here and here. The letter’s anonymous author, Mathetes (simply Greek for “disciple”), is rather … Continue reading →
Posted by Editors on July 6, 2008 · 10 Comments
Gabriel’s Revelation In today’s NY Times there appeared an article on a controversial first-century BC stone tablet with two columns of painted Hebrew text, the so-called “Gabriel’s Revelation” tablet. This “stone Dead Sea Scroll” recounts an apocalyptic vision revealed by the Angel Gabriel, one that involves a suffering messiah who will redeem Israel through bloody … Continue reading →
Category Antiquity, Christian Apologetics, Religion · Tagged with Angel Gabriel, Dead Sea Scrolls, Gabriel's Revelation, Israel Knohl, Jesus Christ, Jesus Seminar, Last Supper, Messiah, Resurrection
Posted by Editors on July 4, 2008 · 8 Comments
Venus was a Nun: and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You Though my post‘s title may sound like a Monty Python quip, it derives from a real phenomenon, that of syncretism. Syncretism is the reconciliation of disparate or contradictory beliefs, a term first coined by Plutarch (“Fraternal Love,” Moralia [2.490b], 1st c. AD). It … Continue reading →
Category Antiquity, Baroque, Iconography, Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Renaissance · Tagged with "Concord is a mighty rampart.", A History of God, Abrahamic religions, Alciati, Antiquity, Aphrodite, Baroque, Cesara Ripa, Chastity, Christianity, Erasmus of Rotterdam, Islam, Judaism, Karen Armstrong, Monotheism, Monty Python, Pausanias, Plutarch, Pudicitia, Renaissance, revealed religions, syncretism, Venus, W.S. Heckscher
Percyflage 