down the rabbit hole under constructionfine artist & ui/ux designer
it appears we have a visitor. welcome to the place where i question an emperor’s reign upon examining an etching at the MET, obsess over this one woman from second century Rome, suggest an alternate interpretation of a Greek myth after seeing some vases from 400 BCE, and write furiously about my strong distaste for one particular fashion house. more to come.
Reconsidering Victory
a Renaissance in imperial Spain and my doubts in response to Maarten Van Heemskerck’s twelve-print series, The Victories of Charles V
“As depicted through artwork produced during the 16th century, Charles V’s reign is
commemorated as a glorious and triumphant era. But behind the grandeur of monumental palace
architecture and meticulously painted portraits, some narratives detailing his career have been
deliberately distorted to maintain his imperial image. He could only be as successful as
artwork portrayed him to be, and the twelve-print series, The Victories of Charles V, serves as a
successful form of propaganda eulogizing him as emperor. In these engravings, Maarten Van
Heemskerck immortalized inaccurate and idealized versions of history, which can be detected
most notably in The relief of Vienna (89.6.4), The fall of Tunis (89.6.2), and The German cities
surrender to Charles V (82.93.47).”
Read more
A Woman’s Place in the Roman Empire
in conversation with:
-
Alicia Jiménez, What is a Province?
- Miguel John Versluys, Roman Visual Material Cultural as Globalising Koine
-
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Rome’s Cultural Revolution
-
Mary T. Boatwright, Visualizing Empire in Imperial Rome
-
Mary T. Boatwright, Plancia Magna of Perge
-
Catherine de Grazia Vanderpool, Fashioning Plancia Magna: Memory and Revival in the Greek East during the Second Century AD
“Throughout antiquity, dedicating monuments and buildings as acts of philanthropy were
typical for both men and women to display their high status. One woman in particular, Plancia
Magna of Perge, left behind an impressive legacy as both a benefactor and recipient of
dedications in her city. Not only do her portrait statues highlight her
significance as a wealthy woman in the second century, they also connect to a broader
investigation of the Herculaneum statue types that disseminated across different parts of the Roman
empire. Jiménez’s analysis of the empire’s power structures, Versluys’ discussion of a global koine, and Wallace-Hadrill’s concept of cultural triangulation help situate Plancia Magna and her portrait statues within the more extensive historical context of the empire itself.
It is not by coincidence that there remains so much information about Plancia Magna.
Boatwright’s article reveals that she was a well-connected woman belonging to the Plancii,
one of the wealthiest families from Asia Minor’s Greek cities. This makes her an extraordinary example of the incredible power a female Roman citizen could wield. Her father’s unconventional practices, such as passing down equal inheritance to his daughter and politician son and emancipating her to be released from any possible male control, enabled Plancia Magna to utilize her elite status to fund large public works like a city gate
complex. Such generosity was reciprocated and as a result, a wide array of documentation still
exists in the form of inscriptions that identify her as the “daughter of the city,” “annual eponymous magistrate of the city,” and “priestess of Artemis,” among others that emphasize her
civic role and connection to the imperial household.”
Read more
Athena and Poseidon on the West Pediment
my take on the unsettled dispute over a Parthenon pediment’s narrative
“As a viewer approaches the Acropolis, the west pediment of the Parthenon is the first to be seen above a canopy of sacred buildings and other remnants of antiquity. While the pediment is visibly intact, historical damage has led to varying interpretations of its narrative. The story in question depicts the dispute between Athena and Poseidon, but some scholars believe that it shows the moment both deities create their tokens while others perceive it as Zeus striking his thunderbolt in an effort to intervene and mitigate the quarrel. Through the examination of vases depicting the same myth, there is strong reason to believe that the west pediment actually illustrates neither theory, but rather a succession of moments within the same narrative.”
Read more
Dear Dolce & Gabbana, Apology Not Accepted: Why I won’t forgive and neither should anyone else
an op-ed in response to D&G’s three-part video series, Eating with Chopsticks
“Sorry is a two-syllable word that discloses your sudden realization that you cannot spin a silk road without your suppliers of silk. You cannot adorn our ancient streets with superficial sorrys and expect us to believe that you’ve always been in love with our culture. We can see right through your translucent sorrys- you love our money, not our country.
I will never accept your dui bu qi, a pitiful plea to make atonement for insulting my culture. A five thousand-year-old civilization will not tolerate a resurrection of yet another attempt to devalue the richness of time-tested customs.
It is a sorry I am unwilling to forgive. It is a sorry that reeks of insult and insincerity, too much disregard and not enough respect for my Chinese community.”
Read more