The God Apollo
An action-packed weekend with Brian’s 40th birthday on Saturday and then Sunday with Tom, Rob, and Jeff to see an exhibit on Pompeiian art at the Smithsonian. The birthday party was great (excepting the traffic to and from Baltimore) and the exhibit was equally fun.
When Tom first mentioned the exhibit I did some fishing around on the Web to get a handle on the basics of Pompeian art. One of the first things I stumbled upon was ubiquity of erotic art in Pompeii. Apparently it was everywhere from walls in the street to common household items. There is a narrative here in the States that children are damaged by exposure to nudity or any form or eroticism. When you run across cultures that seemed to operate just fine without such restrictions it makes you question the validity of that assertion.
Whatever the truth, there was no erotic art per se at this exhibit, but plenty of nudity (and plenty of children onlookers). The craftsmanship of the artifacts, particularly the sculptures was astounding. I definitely recommend a visit if you have the time. It’s well laid-out, very informative, and has some very compelling pieces.
Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples
National Gallery of Art
October 19, 2008–March 22, 2009