David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :
'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)
(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.
SBS.TV recently screened, and we appreciated, I've loved you so long. (Director, Philippe Claudel. Actors, Kristin Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein and Serge Hazanavicius. France, 2008)
In this scene, the central character Juliette goes to an art museum to meet a friend.
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She pauses at a picture of women in black, in grief at a burial.
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A voice interrupts her reverie.
The painting is called "Pain".
It is her friend.
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detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA
Who is the author of this "Pain"?
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This shared regard, we know, is primarily about her pain.
He wants to show her a little of his own. He says
"I'll show you another by him...
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No, no. Not this one.
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Another. Tomorrow...
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA
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