Ars Longa, Vita Brevis, Occasio Praeceps...

This post was inspired by the exhibit Life is Short, Art Long: The Art of Healing in Byzantium at Pera Museum in Istanbul in 2015.

Hippocrates holding open the page that displays the first lines of his Aphorisms:
"Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting."

Our world is sick and in need of serious healing...
Not a day goes by when we do not encounter another atrocity where innocent lives are taken due to pointless acts of aggression in the name of religion, greed or even 15 minutes of fame. Divisive politics that encourage racism, sexism, intolerance and hatred for views and people other than their own, only aggravates the situation even more. While a multitude of psychopathic terrorist groups are wreaking havoc in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia, mass-shootings are becoming a weekly occurrence in America. Combined with the tragic fate of the refugees trying to escape from war-torn countries facing death, humiliation and rejection, it is almost hard to believe we live in a civilized, advanced world.

Upper Jaw of one of the three Serpent's heads from the Delphic Column at Constantinople, Hippodrome                
(Istanbul Archaeology Museums)

While the governments, armies and politicians seem to be powerless or unwilling to solve any of these problems, the ordinary citizens have become spectators recalling the crowds at public executions from bygone eras. We are all glued to our computer screens, following the latest breaking news, minute by minute, as it unfolds before our eyes, riveted yet helpless to do anything about it.

Oil Lamp in the Shape of a Sandaled Right Foot, 1st-2nd cent.
(Istanbul Archaeology Museums)

Happy Birthday Constantinople!

Beyan-i Manazil-i Safar-i Iraqayn-i Sultan Sulayman Khan(View of Istanbul from Sultan Suleiman's Iraq campaign),
Matrakci Nasuhi, 1537-1538 *
(Istanbul University Library)

Founding a city in the ancient world was akin to a God-liked benefaction and in 324, right after defeating Licinius in Adrianople, Constantine the Great (the first Christian Roman emperor) set out to make his new city.  It has been suggested that he considered Troy first but then changed his mind and moved up north to the ancient Greek city of Byzas. Unfortunately, today there is not much left in present day Istanbul, from Constantine's city to give us a substantial picture of how it might have been. The website Byzantium1200 is a great resource to get an idea of how the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire might have looked in the year 1200. We may not have the Forums or the porticoes of fourth century Constantinople but we do have artifacts that we can use to form a composite picture of "New Rome" as it was dedicated on this day in the year 330. 

From Duccio to Ai Weiwei: The Multiple Lives of the Work of Art

Antonio, Allegri da Correggio, Leda and the Swan, around 1532
(Gemaldegalerie, Berlin) 

At a time when the sculptures and artifacts which have made their way to some of the finest institutions in the West are crying to be reunited with their country of origins, and the dealings behind these acquisitions are coming into daylight, I had the privilege of attending a lecture which presented the other side of the proverbial coin.  Philippe de Montebello, a legend in his own right, with numerous awards and honors including two Presidential medals and a Legion d'Honor, gave a riveting lecture, "The Multiple Lives of the Work of Art" at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles two weeks ago. His prose was captivating with interesting details and most surprising of all, a sense of humor. Although this should not come as a surprise, when Philippe de Montebello speaks, people stop and listen. Since this post concerns the lecture and not my personal views, I will try not to offer my own perspective, for now.

Aelia Eudocia Augusta, whose husband Theodosius II built the Land Walls of Constantinople

Bust Weight of Aelia Eudocia Augusta ?, First Half of 5th century
(Istanbul Archaeology Museum)

There is a small display case in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum that holds some very intriguing objects. They are Empress Bust Weights that were used in the marketplace to weigh everyday commodities. One of the figures thought to be Eudocia, wife of Theodosius II, wears a diadem and a necklace which help to identify her as an Augusta and  a garment that tightly covers her shoulders. While she holds a scroll in one hand and with the other makes the gesture of speech. The gesture of speech normally reserved for Christ, Church figures and imperial officials and sometimes muses, refers to the empresses well-educated status.  The scroll and the wrapped garment also recall the standard gesture of orators and philosophers. With her iconography referring to her learnedness, her imperial diadem claiming her to be an augusta her wide-open eyes suggesting both piety and watchfulness,this fifth century bust weight of Eudocia would have ensured "the fairness of commercial transactions" in the marketplace. 1