06-19-2013, 10:40 AM
Last night there was a nationwide (UK) live link to the British Museum for numerous small cinemas and we enjoyed an hour and a half private view of the Pompeii Exhibition in the company of Mary Beard and Bettany Hughes amongst others.
It was excellent. The artifacts were explained in context and in far more detail than even the publication associated with the Exhibition explained. As the Director of the BM said, the experts brought the whole thing to life.
Hyperbole apart (thank you, Ms Hughes) the talks were interspersed with extracts from the recent BBC documentary about Pompeii discussing the volcanic erruption and ended very poignantly with the plaster casts of some of the victims from Pompeii. Most telling were the family from the House of the Golden Bracelet (0.5kg in weight and on show) and the beautiful fresco of the garden and birds which they could afford to have painted. Their bodies were found sheltering under the stairs and included a man, a woman and two children, one of whom was still sitting on the mother's knee. It brought a welcome brush with humanity to counter balance the spectacle.
It was such a good evening! I can't wait to see the real thing in September.
It was excellent. The artifacts were explained in context and in far more detail than even the publication associated with the Exhibition explained. As the Director of the BM said, the experts brought the whole thing to life.
Hyperbole apart (thank you, Ms Hughes) the talks were interspersed with extracts from the recent BBC documentary about Pompeii discussing the volcanic erruption and ended very poignantly with the plaster casts of some of the victims from Pompeii. Most telling were the family from the House of the Golden Bracelet (0.5kg in weight and on show) and the beautiful fresco of the garden and birds which they could afford to have painted. Their bodies were found sheltering under the stairs and included a man, a woman and two children, one of whom was still sitting on the mother's knee. It brought a welcome brush with humanity to counter balance the spectacle.
It was such a good evening! I can't wait to see the real thing in September.
Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
