Byzantium, at the Royal Academy, was another kind of exhibit entirely. It was a show for experts, specialists, and those willing to self-teach. Each lavishly filled room had a single explanatory paragraph-or-so to introduce its complexities. The labels frequently raised more questions than they answered. What has a third-century Roman treasure trove found in Scotland to do with Byzantium? Or a piece of Fatimid jewelry? From where did the wholly unlabeled and enormous ceiling hanging in the first room come? I can hypothesize or check the catalogue, but the show itself did not provide answers. In compensation, it made up for lack of information with bulk of shiny wonders from the duration of the Empire. They are extraordinary, from the jaw-dropping detail of the micro-mosaics to beautiful jewelry to paintings brought in from Mount Sinai. A carved lintel loitered stealthily above. There were bells. There were manuscripts and a large, complete coin collection, and a large mosaic floor. It was like exploring a cave of wonders, dazzling, but mysterious.
Babylon and Byzantium
Byzantium, at the Royal Academy, was another kind of exhibit entirely. It was a show for experts, specialists, and those willing to self-teach. Each lavishly filled room had a single explanatory paragraph-or-so to introduce its complexities. The labels frequently raised more questions than they answered. What has a third-century Roman treasure trove found in Scotland to do with Byzantium? Or a piece of Fatimid jewelry? From where did the wholly unlabeled and enormous ceiling hanging in the first room come? I can hypothesize or check the catalogue, but the show itself did not provide answers. In compensation, it made up for lack of information with bulk of shiny wonders from the duration of the Empire. They are extraordinary, from the jaw-dropping detail of the micro-mosaics to beautiful jewelry to paintings brought in from Mount Sinai. A carved lintel loitered stealthily above. There were bells. There were manuscripts and a large, complete coin collection, and a large mosaic floor. It was like exploring a cave of wonders, dazzling, but mysterious.
-
One more Eurovision song
I finally bought the album for this year's Eurovision. I listened to it on random today while sorting papers. Much to my surprise, a song came on…
-
Eurovision Entries 2017
This year's Eurovision song contest features a ridiculously large number of videos with very gloomy visuals, some justified, some not. Over half were…
-
The start of goodbye
I wrote this for a four-year-old, trying to minimize the amount of challenging vocabulary incorporated. Perhaps someone else out there would like…
- Post a new comment
- 4 comments
- Post a new comment
- 4 comments