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.
The work is not signed by the artist, but it bears numerous inscriptions, seals and signatures from its subsequent owners — including the seals of the Southern Tang emperor Li Yu, the Song theorist Mi Fu, and the Qianlong Emperor — show that it passed through the hands of many collectors over the following 1,200 years.
The original drawing, some 12 inches (30 cm) square, was later mounted on a 20 feet (6.1 m) long handscroll to provide sufficient space for the seals and inscriptions.
It later came into the collection of Sir Percival David, and was bought by the Metropolitan Museum in 1977, funded by the Dillon Fund.
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