Frescoes By Bogdanoff

I love Christmas

December is the month when holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah are celebrated however, people can easily forget the true meaning of their holiday and get pretty twisted in the process.

got a light?

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The True Meaning of Giving

Any way you spin it, the “holidays” are about celebrating and generously contributing to those in need:

Department store chains and online merchants.

I remember when Christmas ads would start right around Thanksgiving, but in the modern age of consumerism, ads for holiday shopping now start soon after Labor Day. There may be eight days of Hanukkah, but limiting your gifts to eight?…I don’t think so! And Christmas, the granddaddy of em’ all, has no suggested limit as to the amount of gifts to give. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is deemed the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. Department stores open before the sun rises, and shoppers are waiting outside in the dark cold mornings just to get a jump on their shopping. Last year, Black Friday turned chaotic and deadly, as desperate consumers broke through the door of a Wal-Mart on Long Island, New York, and trampled an employee to death. At least four other people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals. Meanwhile, two men at a crowded Toys “R” Us in Palm Desert, Calif., pulled guns and shot each other to death after women with them brawled.

So what does this all have to do with an ancient city of 20,000 inhabitants that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption on August 24, AD 79?

Shopping, of course!

The Goods on Pompeii

In its beginning, Pompeii was no more than a typical town. Nomadic tribes seeking a place to settle at started Pompeii. From the small tribal village grew a large city. The city was an oval about two miles around. It contained 90-degree angle streets, theaters, and forums just like any other Roman city. What attracted ancient Romans to Pompeii was its beautiful scenery. Blue skies were seen throughout the day in Pompeii. Because of this many wealthy Romans built holiday villas here. Because it was a port city, Pompeii had a diverse mix of social classes including slaves, artisans, merchants, and wealthy landowners. Pompeii eventually became a wealthy town through trading. Merchants traded wines, fish, breads, and oils. In addition, there were an abundance of shops that sold glassware, pottery, wine, produce, fish, and cloth.

counting her sheckles

Businesswomen of Pompeii – Beauty and Brains

Pompeian women were extremely involved with money and power, from the smallest business to the largest industry.

The wives of artisans and traders were often responsible for running the shops. The fresco to the left depicts a woman holding a jointed writing tablet, probably used for recording sales and keeping track of accounts.

In addition to shops, it was often women who ran the inns and bars, which were frequented by a somewhat coarse clientele. The Pompeian women weren’t shrinking violets, and could throw a troublemaker out on the street without a moment’s hesitation.

For What the Wool’s Worth

Wool merchandise made desirable gifts, and everyone knew that Eumachia had the ‘market’ on wool.

Bahhh Humbug

Eumachia occupied a position of unusual importance in Pompeian society. She was born into an old Pompeian family, the Eumachii, who owned vineyards and brickworks, as well as played an important part in municipal affairs. Using her wealth and status, she funded the construction of a large building next to the public forum in Pompeii. This is an example of the idea of euergetism, the socio-political phenomenon of voluntary gift-giving, which exerted an influence on the wealthy people of her time period. Eumachia’s importance in Roman history stems from her being seen as a good example of how a Roman woman of non-imperial descent can become involved in public affairs. She is also viewed as a model for the increasing involvement of women in politics, using the power of a public priestess for social mobility.

Eumachia was also known as the patron of the fullers, an economically significant guild in Pompeii which consisted of dyers and clothing-makers. The building she erected was used as a wool market. Here wool was prepared and made into fine fabrics. Wool was one of Pompeii’s most principal industries, and Eumachia’s business was thriving. Being the patroness of this trade would have been quite notable for Eumachia and her family.

There’s Stock in that Market

In addition to little shops, a market was held each week under the portico of the forum. The fresco below depicts the market, which was decorated with garlands of flowers for the occasion. The stalls were set out at pavement level. A shoemaker on the right shows off his wares to two seated female customers, while others wait their turn. On the left, an elderly man appears to have fallen asleep over the take-out meals he is offering for sale; large jars contain the stews and sauces.

"Can I get two for $10?"

Cherubs of Bacchus by Bogdanoff

Nice Vintage

Wine played a large role in the sales industry. Even the ancient citizens of Pompeii understood the value of marketing. Some of the wine jars found on the site bear what might be the first marketing pun – “Vesuvinum” – the combination of Vesuvius and vinum, the Latin word for wine. There is a largely intact shop with clay pots buried in the counters among the ruins, and some believe that it may have been a wine bar. Grapes from the fertile hillsides of Mt. Vesuvius were the source for producing wine. The Pompeians would sweeten the fermented wine with honey and lace it with salt water. Today, this would most likely turn any wine snob into a hard liquor consumer. Certainly not what you’d find in your neighborhood Trader Joe’s.

Real Collectables

What would shopping be without jewelry? The Pompeian jewelry makers were masters of their trade. Gold and gemstones were used to create true works of art.

The gold bracelet on the left was found on a victim in Pompeii and weighs over 1.3 pounds.

The pair of cluster earrings below consists of beads strung on gold threads. Cluster earrings were a popular style.

ear bobs

opal ring

Above is a hollowed gold ring,
ornamented by an oval comelian
setting with an engraved image.

Ongoing entertainment events, such as plays and music performances in Pompeii’s vibrant theatre district, were great excuses for the wealthy socialites to don their magnificent jewelry for all to see.

Wrapping it Up

So, as you can see, the need to shop has been handed down from the ages. I guess I can’t blame commercialism on all those out there who spent way too much for gifts that will be either discarded in the trash or re-gifted. I did it (again) this season myself. Amazon.com was my best friend.

Happy Holidays to All and to All a Good Night…

And may we all wake up on Dec. 26th to amazing ‘after-Christmas’ sales!

I was introduced to the Minoan civilization back in 1990. I was at a party in Hollywood, CA, and hanging on one wall were two painted panels depicting blue monkeys and antelope. The backgrounds had intriguing designs comprised of geometric shapes resembling puzzle pieces, in blues and reds. The artist was at the party and, knowing that he was relocating to Ireland in a few weeks to ‘retire’ (i.e. drink himself to death), I pumped him with questions about his technique. I wrote down everything he told me on a cocktail napkin, thus the birth of my interest in frescoes. I didn’t think to ask him about the subject matter.

Beverly Hills Public Library

Days later I went to the Beverly Hills Library, which had (and still has) an extensive art department. I went through countless art history books and found a book entitled The Arts of Assyria, which had a cover of a wall mural which had colors similar to those of the panels I admired days earlier. I couldn’t find any monkeys or antelopes, but I did find a bronze relief that I liked. I made a copy of it at the library and created my first fresco.

It wasn’t until many visits later, that I found what I was in search of. There, in the ancient Greek section on the shelves, I came upon Art and Religion in Thera; Reconstructing a Bronze Age Society, by Dr. Nanno Marinatos. I had never heard of Thera, but I thought that it couldn’t hurt to skim through this small book rich with pictures. I could have easily missed it, but there on page 115 were the blue monkeys!

I felt like I had struck gold! I sat for hours devouring the book. Page after page of beautiful frescoes: swallows, saffron gatherers, boxing boys, a fisherman, antelope (yes, the same ones I saw in the panels at the party), landscape and seascape scenes, flotillas, and those blue monkeys that would later have a huge impact on my life as a professional artist. I wanted to possess this book, but it was out of print and I had no way of owning it. Remember, this was before the internet and Amazon was popular, so all I had was this book and a copy machine at the public library at my disposal. I made a copy of the entire book, which was my bible on Thera and the Minoan civilization. Of course, thanks to the internet and outlets like Amazon and many other online resources, I now own all of the books that I used to pour through at the library.

The Minoan civilization is considered to be the one of the greatest civilizations in the Greek Bronze Age (the other being the Mycenaean civilization). The Minoan civilization, named after the legendary King Minos, was based on the island of Crete. This civilization possessed a feature unshared by other civilizations, which was an architectural complex of great proportions called a “palace.” The palace housed the rulers that presided over the city or settlement. It was on the walls of these palaces where numerous frescoes were created.

The Minoan civilization was at the height of existence between 2200 and 1450 BC (end of the Early Bronze Age). Its richest and finest period was around 1725 BC, after the old palace period ended with the destruction of most of the existing palaces by a powerful earthquake. The more notable Minoan palace was at Knossos. The palace offers a rich source of frescoes throughout its walls.

Many of the wall paintings discovered in the Aegean region were produced between 1550 and 1450 BC. The Minoan artists style of painting was spontaneous and exuded grand expression.

The subjects of the frescoes generally fell under two categories: nature scenes and palace life. Nature scenes consisted of landscapes, animals, birds and marine life, and were painted with an impressionistic style. Palace subjects included religious festivals and processions, and court ceremonies.

More recently, archeologists have discovered a lost existence on Thera. The excavations at Akrotiri on Thera, now modern Santorini, provides much knowledge about this rich settlement. Thera was made up of wealthy houses c.1500 BC. Soon after these homes were built, they were destroyed by lava in a huge volcanic eruption. Much of the settlement has been recovered by the Greek Archaeological Service. Here, among the debris, excavators uncovered extraordinary frescoes.

Artists from the area created wall paintings with a style that set them apart from the Cretan artists. Though they possessed an execution similar to the artists of Crete, the Theran artists expressed their stylings through coarse application and depiction of life on the island. Theran artists used brilliant colors in their work, as evidenced in an elaborate scene from the room of the blue monkeys. Other subjects of frescoes found included fishermen, boxing children, crowd scenes, antelopes, and landscapes as they appeared prior to the island’s devastating volcanic eruption.

Frescoes at Akrotiri That Have Most Inspired Me

Blue Monkeys fresco at Akrotiri

The blue monkeys, without question, have made the greatest impact in my fresco career. The wall mural of the blue monkeys was found in a palace room at Akrotiri. Here, a family of monkeys are climbing up on the rocks of the volcano that ultimately destroyed the settlement. The monkeys were considered servants to the gods, and it is believed that the room they were depicted was a room of worship.

Saffron Gatherers

The saffron gatherers are found on the east wall in room 3a of Xeste 3. One woman is shown with her arms outstretched, while gazing at a woman opposite her, with a lively and impatient expression, as if anxious for reassurance that she is performing the task correctly.

Fresco of the Lilies

The Fresco of the Lilies, on the ground floor in room 2 at Akrotiri, as been a large influence for my Swallows With Lilies series. The original fresco adorned three walls from floor to ceiling. Swallows fly amid stalks of red lilies. The slight bend of the stalks implies a gentle breeze. It is believed that the artist was attempting to express the beginning of spring. Because a millstone and sickle were discovered in room 2, the room is thought to have been a shrine where rites were practiced in relation to a harvest festival and/or the processing of grain.

Antelope of Akrotiri

The middle zone on the west, north and east walls of Room Beta 1 were devoted to a study of the antelope.  Though the antelope are rendered in outline only, the artist revealed the strength of his talent, giving them expression and depicting them in an amorous converse, as is shown by the movements of the heads, of the lips and the tails.

Flotilla Festival

The frieze on the south wall in room 5 of he West House depicts a procession of ships, splendidly adorned, which moves between two towns. It has been recognized that the town on the right is Akrotiri itself. It’s unclear what town the ships are coming from. The subject of the frieze is a festival, where a naval fleet plays a large role. The ships vary in size. The passengers are wearing either tunics or long robes. it is reasonable to suggest that they represent people of higher status. This is all the more likely because the ships are in parade and a display of status is surely involved. The special ornamentation of the ships with nature symbols, such as flowers, butterflies and swallows, betokens a religious occasion. dolphins playfully jump around the ships, as if to guide them home.