March 10, 2005
The Witch of Endor
Salvator Rosa
The Spirit of Samuel Called up before Saul by the Witch of Endor, 1668 .
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Today's required reading . Among other labyrinthian connections, Charlie is my godson.
Samuel looks mighty cranky. A compilation of eons of it's-too-damn-early-on-a-conceptually-Monday-morning-where's-my-coffee-you-hag? Not sure who's more fearsome -- the howling winged skeletal thingie surrounded by skulls and owls and other afterlife cliches, or the I've-got-time, way-pissed-off Samuel. The hag seems pleased with herself, but Saul and the two unnameds look like they're pretty sure this was a bad idea.............. I concur.
Cool painting, though, thanks.
Posted by gallery crawler.But were they "afterlife cliches" in 1668?
Posted by michael.I think they were afterlife cliches in A.D. 1219. So what? Owls are portentious even today, and we genetically shiver at skeletons (especially when they have wings and howl). Even Harryhausen's stop-motion baddies pestering the Argonauts were pretty creepy, even in 1963.
Posted by fond of cliches.Hard to see the world in other than today’s terms, but pre everything we know, including something as basic as incandescent light, and when most people lived to the ripe old age of thirty-eight primarily because of uncontrollable infectious diseases, I’m not sure anything associated with death was thought to be a cliché. But wtf do I know, I’m just glad I live now, although Mike of 2105 will say he’s glad he wasn’t born in 1947 (can you tell I’m on hold trying to track a part for a Home Depot product?). I do, however, get your point. I have a very hard time looking at the skeleton thingee without thinking, couldn’t the artist have come up with something more original?
Posted by michael.Posted by Michael at March 10, 2005 06:26 AM
Samuel looks mighty cranky. A compilation of eons of it's-too-damn-early-on-a-conceptually-Monday-morning-where's-my-coffee-you-hag? Not sure who's more fearsome -- the howling winged skeletal thingie surrounded by skulls and owls and other afterlife cliches, or the I've-got-time, way-pissed-off Samuel. The hag seems pleased with herself, but Saul and the two unnameds look like they're pretty sure this was a bad idea.............. I concur.
Cool painting, though, thanks.
Posted by: gallery crawlerat March 10, 2005 07:59 AMBut were they "afterlife cliches" in 1668?
Posted by: michaelat March 10, 2005 08:02 AMI think they were afterlife cliches in A.D. 1219. So what? Owls are portentious even today, and we genetically shiver at skeletons (especially when they have wings and howl). Even Harryhausen's stop-motion baddies pestering the Argonauts were pretty creepy, even in 1963.
Posted by: fond of clichesat March 10, 2005 08:13 AMHard to see the world in other than today’s terms, but pre everything we know, including something as basic as incandescent light, and when most people lived to the ripe old age of thirty-eight primarily because of uncontrollable infectious diseases, I’m not sure anything associated with death was thought to be a cliché. But wtf do I know, I’m just glad I live now, although Mike of 2105 will say he’s glad he wasn’t born in 1947 (can you tell I’m on hold trying to track a part for a Home Depot product?). I do, however, get your point. I have a very hard time looking at the skeleton thingee without thinking, couldn’t the artist have come up with something more original?
Posted by: michaelat March 10, 2005 08:35 AM