This month we want to show images of Ancient Greek play, featuring tragic heroines. Electra by Sophocles The women of Athenian tragedy are often used to embody the idea of total, selfless devotion to the interests of the man of the family – father, husband or brother. Electra was the daughter of the great…
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Couple in love from classical mythology
As February the 14th, St Valentine’s Day, approaches we would like to show a ‘couple in love’ from classical mythology. Psyche and Cupid Psyche was a princess who was so beautiful that she almost overshadowed Aphrodite (called by her Latin name, Venus). Her admirers worshiped her and made offerings to her instead of Aphrodite,…
Peace and Health
Happy New Year! We wish you peace and very good health in 2017! Dove and Peace The goddess Artemis, twin sister of Apollo, guards her virginity fiercely and perhaps on this account, is the protector of young girls up to the age of marriage and childbirth. At her shrine at Brauron on the east…
FilmEye: Central Station
Notes on cinema inspired by historical images by Dan Williams Time The above image may seem like a strange place to begin discussing Central Station,the Brazilian film of 1998, directed by Walter Salles, but in this series I am using images from the AAA collection to explore more widely ideas about cinema. As we know,…
God of Wine
Already the last month of 2016! Are you looking forward to celebration drinks on Christmas and the New Year? Here is God of Wine, Dionysus or Bacchus. Enjoy! Dionysus and grape vine It is always inadvisable to array any of the Greek gods, and Dionysus is perhaps one of the most dangerous of them all….
Homer’s epic Odyssey
While trees look beautiful with autumnal tint, it is nice to immerse yourself in reading books. How about Homer’s epic Odyssey? Homer The Iliad and the Odyssey, arguably among the world’s greatest epic poems, were composed about the mid-eighth century BC by Homer, but when we look for information about the poet, we only find a…
Learning new things from Ancient Greece
A new school year has started. We hope you enjoy learning and acquiring new knowledge. Here are a couple of Ancient Greek personalities who have inspired us through times. Pythagoras The great mathematician Pythagoras was born and brought up in Samos, but in 532 BC the island came under the control of a ruler whose…
FilmEye: Wiener-Dog by Todd Solondz
Notes on cinema inspired by historical images by Dan Williams Your companion Wiener-Dog is the latest film from controversial independent film-maker Todd Solondz, whose work has regularly shocked audiences with sardonic comedy and disturbing subject matter. So what happens when he places a sausage dog at the centre of his story. In fact the cute…
Harvest season
We are still enjoying summer but the calendar is moving to autumn already! Harvest season is coming soon. What was this celebration like in Greece? Olive harvest At the legendary foundation of Athens, two great gods, Poseidon and Athene, competed for the coveted position of patron of the city. It was decreed that whoever donated…
FilmEye: Tale of Tales
Notes on cinema inspired by historical images by Dan Williams Medieval fantasy in Italy Sometimes you watch a film and there is an uncanny sense of deja vu. This came to me during the recent grotesque art-house hit Tale of Tales. Rather than the generic tropes, it was the village of Sermoneta which brought on…
Music in Ancient Greece
BBC Prom, open-air concerts, various kinds of festivals and shows take place in summer in Britain. Here, we are now in ancient Greece. What kinds of musical instruments did they play, or learn, or enjoy? Cycladic seated harpist It would be impossible to overestimate the importance of music in Greek life from the very earliest…
FilmEye: Tarkovsky series – Mirror and Nostalgia
Notes on cinema inspired by historical images by Dan Williams Memory – Landscape A black and white image of a detached, historic building, a fortress, surrounded by the natural elements, including a lake. This picture from our collection is cue for further reflections on the work of Andrey Tarkovsky, the Russian filmmaker whose work is…