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.
Recently rediscovered in Des Moines, USA, and now restored, is Apollo and Venus (c.1600) by
Otto van Veen, the teacher of Rubens.
Also recently found, this one in Australia, c.1900,
Venus and Susie at The See, Apollo Bay.
It is thought to be painted 'after Whistler' by one of the Heidelberg School artists, a playful Antipodean response to the 1897 Bliss Sands & Co publication Venus & Apollo in Painting and Sculpture by William Stillman.
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
