The 1930's Fashion and Invention

The 1930’s were marked by the Great Depression, the period between WWI and WWII, and many technological advances in fashion, looms, and various related industries including fashion being seen in Hollywood films. In 1929, the stock market crashed and the world was hit by the great depression, unemployment was widespread and materials were often in short supply after the WWI. However, at the same time, there were advances fashion technology. Made-made fibers were now in greater use: especially rayon, viscose, and nylon. Nylon became so popular and easily created for women’s stockings that they were often called “nylons” in reference to the material from which they were made, which completely changed that portion of the industry. Which additionally added to the fashion trend known as “nylons.” In the 1930’s it was known that “nylons” had a seam down the back of the leg, however, when women could not afford them (due to the great depression) they often drew the seam onto the back of their legs to give the appearance of wearing “nylons.”

As hard as many had life in the 1930’s, it gave the people to opportunity to find themselves, and try new things to advance the era. The 30’s gave birth to what is known today as the Classic Hollywood style as clothing was more easily seen in films and how they hung on the body was being scrutinized by viewers, so many designers started to design for the silver screen.

The Crocker Art Museum & Christmas Morning, Hôtel de Cluny

The Crocker Museum in Sacramento holds a large collection of both modern and European art. Currently the museum is exhibiting various pieces of Mexican origin.

           

The Mexican exhibit displays various kinds of artworks, from sculpture to paintings, and even a small shrine. The pieces focused on the revolution in Mexico, and various aspects of life for Mexicans in the United States, including jokes about commonly utilized products, giving them a twist.

The Crocker’s permanent exhibit showcases a variety of pieces, such as sculpture, paintings, pottery, and other modern three-dimensional works. One of my favorite pieces of art is in the hallway connecting the European and Modern Wings of the museum. It is the painting titled Christmas Morning, Hôtel de Cluny by Edwin Deakin. I am particularly fond of this painting because I have visited this location many times (it is nearby our apartment in Paris).

            

Edwin Deakin is a British-American artist who is most commonly known for his landscapes, which he painted in the romantic style that was common in Britain during his time. While traveling in France, Deakin began painting the buildings in Paris while they were covered in snow. In the painting of Hôtel de Cluny one can see the warm glow of the light emanating from the window, while barely visible birds are perched on top of the ledge. The painting depicts a warm, friendly looking atmosphere, one that offered shelter and warmth during the cold winter months.

            

Deakin paints with loose, fluid brushstrokes and uses lighting to highlight the building. The warm light seen emanating from within the hotel can be considered an allusion to the holy light of a sanctuary. The stained glass window features the story of the birth of Jesus, which further explains the holy season being depicted. Above the window, highlighted by a ray of light, the coat of arms of the house of Cluny can be seen. This shows that the light of heaven shines upon the Cluny family, and depicts the Hôtel de Cluny as a noble and upstanding establishment.

            

The front door of the building is slightly ajar, allowing light to pour into the courtyard. This can be seen as an invitation to weary travelers that the Hôtel de Cluny welcomes all, just as the farmer who housed Mary and Joseph did not turn the holy family away, neither will the Cluny Family.

            

I find myself endeared to the Hôtel de Cluny painting mostly because it the hotel itself looks the same now as it did in 1880. The sense of continuity connects me to the subject. While the building is now a public library filled with books and magazines on art, history, and other genres, one experiences a sense of grandeur when visiting.

            

The Crocker, in addition to her considerable collection of paintings and modern art, also houses a large collection of pottery from Asia and the Americas, including an entire room devoted to India, China, and Japan. Since the Crocker Art Museum was once a private collection, it has an attractive collection of art and artifacts from around the globe that the Crocker family collected over time. It is an enjoyable museum to visit due it its wide collection of art from different cultures and time periods.

Our World Heritage is in Our Art

Art is meant to be shared and seen by the world, but specifically where in the world poses a question to art scholars today. Should art pieces and historical treasures be returned to their country of origin or should they remain overseas so that viewers from other countries can share in the wealth art has to offer. Many countries have attempted to retrieve their cultural art and artifacts from other countries, but few have prevailed. Some people have even resorted to stealing art to be able to return it to its home country. These people were considered thieves in one country and reverend as heroes in another, but which side is correct?

On the 21^st of August 1911, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci was stolen from the Louvre, in Paris. It was not until the next day that it was discovered missing. When a painter Louis Béroud questioned the guards on the whereabouts of the painting, no one seemed to know where it was and after checking to see if it was being cleaned, it was confirmed that none of the staff had possession of the painting. As soon as her absence was discovered, the French Police were immediately called, the Louvre Museum was closed, and everyone was questioned and investigated.

It would be two years before the Mona Lisa resurfaced, when a man named Vincenzo Peruggia attempted to sell it to the directors of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Vincenzo Peruggia was an Italian Patriot who believed that the painting should be returned to Italy “after it was stolen by Napoleon”. At the time of the theft Peruggia had just finished his work framing pictures in the Louvre, which included the Mona Lisa. Having framed it himself, he was easily able to unframe it and slip the painting under his coat jacket and leave the Louvre at closing time without anyone noticing. While Peruggia was sentenced to seven months in prison for this theft, he got his wish: the Mona Lisa returned (albeit temporarily) to Italy. She went on tour throughout Italy, and Peruggia was reverend as a hero, though the painting was returned to its rightful home at the Louvre in 1913. Since the Mona Lisa was a gift for the French King Francis I by Leonardo da Vinci himself, it was decided that its rightful home would remain France.

Famous Masterpieces have been lost, stolen, rediscovered, damaged, restored, looted, lost again, and finally displayed at various museums around the world. The most notorious art thefts by an institution would be by the British Empire. At the time of Colonization, the British Empire would bring back the spoils of war, anything from paintings to ancient artifacts. Each of these items where moved from their homes and shipped away to England where they now reside in her National Museums to be viewed by the public.

In a BCC article discussing the battle over artifacts from various museums around the world, the secretary of the Committee for Restoration of the Parthenon Marbles, Eleni Cubitt defends Britain’s right to keep Greek Marbles as their museums currently have the safest environment for preserving the marbles. Eleni Cubitt goes on the explain that the British Museum is open for talks about returning these marbles to Greece, but wishes for the best environment for these pieces to be viewed, preserved, and maintained.

While many curators wish to see various art pieces returned to their countries of origin, all curators agree that art should not be moved without the proper means to take care of it and preserve it both in transportation and in the new museums that will house it. Curators are not interested in hording art in one country or another, they wish for the best environment for their pieces with the best visibly so that they can be shared with the world.

Denmark in its time of colonization took many ancient artifacts from Greenland. After Greenland gained full independence, Denmark agreed to help set up her national museum and through this collaboration the Danish-Greenland museum collaboration has returned over 35,000 artifacts. This collaboration shows that art can be moved to its country of origin or rightful ownership if it has a stable environment and proper curatorship. The true concern expressed by the Danish Museum was not the location of the artifacts but their condition proper to the conservation of the piece(s) in question.

Public museums hold the largest known collections of art, and people travel from all corners of the globe to visit these museums. The Louvre in Paris attracts approximately 9 million visitors a year, 80% of which are not residents of France. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York receives 6 million visitors annually, while the British Museum receives 5.8 million. Each of these museums has art on display for the public and allocates funds to toward continuing preservation. If museums where dismantled and all artifacts were sent to the countries of origin we would lose much of the world’s global heritage as the constitutions intended to preserve and safeguard these artifacts would be disrupted.

Adele Bloch-Bauer in her will requested that her paintings be donated to the Austrian State, but after her death her estate fell to her husband who controlled the estate until fleeing the country during WWII. The Austrian State then took control of her property and placed her paintings in the national museum. In 2006 a court case erupted between Austria’s National Museum and the heirs Adele Bloch-Bauer, who were named the heirs of the estate by her husband. The painting by Gustav Klimt of Adele Bloch-Bauer entitled Adele Bloch-Bauer I was the painting in question during the case. This resulted in the painting’s return to the family, which was then sold shortly thereafter at Christie’s Auction House in America and purchased for approximately $135 million by Lauder for the Neue Galerie in New York. In this case the art changed hands, but remained on public display. In many other smaller known cases art has been taken from museums never to be seen again by the public. After these cases, many false claims of famous art pieces began appearing.

“The Artist belongs to his work, not the work to the artist.” Artists wish to see and sell their work across the globe, hoping that people from many different countries will have the opportunity to view their artwork(s). If art was restricted to its country of origin then the international art market would crumble and the industry would be lost, along with millions of jobs around the world.

James Cuno, the president of the Getty Trust and also the writer of Culture war: the case against Repatriating Museum Artifacts, writes in favor of museums keeping their art, even if it has come from another country, with the exception of newly looted or stolen art. Cuno explains that there are two types of art in museums; art that was bought or purchased legally and art that has been considered looted or spoils of war. Cuno explains that if art has been stolen and placed in the Getty Museum and there is proof of that, and that there is another stable museum to send the art, then he is comfortable sending art back to its original country. The Getty Museum has kept its word, and has returned over 40 objects since it has announced that stolen or looted art should be returned to their proper homes.

Cuno mentions Unesco’s Art Repatriation act, which asks museums to return any stolen or looted art. He publically addressed this issue by writing, “This kind of promotion of cultural purity … can produce dangerous, often violent xenophobia… Cultural property should be recognized for what it is: the legacy of humankind and not of the modern nation-state, subject to the political agenda of its current ruling elite.” Cuno writes in favor of not returning art, but a massive exchange of art loans. This would allow other museums to share artifacts with more people around the world so that humanity’s treasures can be seen and shared by everyone.

Many artists bring their art from one country to another either as a gift or to sell it. Leonardo da Vinci brought the Mona Lisa to France and gave it as a gift to King Francis I. Despite the Mona Lisa having originally been painted in Italy the artist intended her for France. In another case a French Painter Vigée le Brun traveled throughout Europe painting the aristocracy of her day, and mentions in her memoirs being part of art academies throughout Europe and how she loved being able to display her work in so many interesting places to so many different audiences. This shows that artists of acclaim do not wish for their work to be restricted to their country of origin.

Words can be lost in translation, but art is universal. Art does not have to be in one spoken language to be understood, it relies on the language of human emotion. A person does not have to be from the same country as the painting to understand it, just as a painting does not need to be located in its country of origin to be understood by the world audience. Art and the artifacts from each country should not be horded, but rather shared throughout various world museums. Today’s curators are concluding that art should not remain in one place, but should be shared in the national museums of each country, as pieces of world heritage that belong to the world’s citizens. Irrespective of how many hands a piece of art passes through, irrespective of how many caring custodians she has, art also belongs to the future generations of the world, who like us and those before us, deserve to know she exists. Understanding our shared global heritage venerates the creative spirit of our shared humanity.

Works Cited

Leonardo da Vinci Mona Lisa 1503-1506 Louvre Musuem Paris, France

The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa (Art of the Heist) Nick Hudson. Julia Elias June 2013. Film Documentary. Youtube. Web. Dec. 6, 2013

Scotti R.A. Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of the Mona Lisa New York City: Vintage Books Radom House Inc. 2009. Print.

Novalis Hymnen an die Nacht (Hymns to the Night) Wiederstedt 1800 Print.

“Countries Battle over Artefacts.” BBC News 1-2. 27 July, 2004 news.bbc.co.uk Web 9 Dec. 2014

The Studies and Research Division at the Musée du Louvre. Status Report and Key Figures. Paris: Musée du Louvre

Jones, Jonathan “Should all looted art be returned?” The Guardian 9 Jan. 2009. theguardian.com. Web. 9

Vigée Le Brun, Louise Elizabeth Souvenirs Paris: Wildside Press, 1879. Print.

Boehm, Mike “Getty’s James Cuno defends museums’ right to keep Ancient Art.” L.A. Times 2014. Latimes.com. Web. 9 Dec. 2014

Sefrioui, Anne A Guide to the Louvre Paris: Musée du Louvre: 2005. Print.

Legion of Honor, San Francisco

            Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to visit the Legion of Honor while the visiting exhibition Houghton Hall: A portrait of an English Country House was occupying the temporary exhibit.

            The Houghton Hall: A portrait of an English Country House had many beautiful paintings, books, sculpture, and costumes. The collection included a piece by Artemisia Gentileschi, Frans Hals and John Singer Sargent. It was a beautiful collection that, as it was the temporary exhibit, I was not able to photograph.

           

In the permanent collect there are various pieces from Monet to Rodin and from Matisse to Vanloo. In the collection there is a wonderful piece by Vigeé Le Brun of Hyacinthe Gabrielle Roland. It was painted in 1791, an oil on canvas, and shows the rococo style of Vigeé Le Brun with its free flowing brushstrokes and soft rosy pink colors. Compared to the formality of Vigeé Le Brun’s portrait of Marie Antoinette and her children this piece of the actress is very intimate. Mlle Roland’s flowing long hair is more in the classical style, and she looks as if she were moving and that the wind is blowing her hair and dress. Her husband commissioned this portrait when Vigeé Le Brun was traveling in Italy, while Mlle Roland is not well received by many courts in Europe, having been an actress, she is painted with the grace Vigeé Le Brun gives her many sitters. This portrait show Mlle Roland smiling directly at the viewer twisting her body to look out as her long curls drape her figure. In person you can see the signature of the artist on the left, as she signs her name L. E. Vigeé le Brun. Thanks to being the official portrait painter of Marie Antoinette, Vigeé Le Brun was able to travel through Europe painting the aristocracy.

           

Rembrandt also makes an appearance at the Legion of Honor, in his portrait of Joris de Caulerii that he painted in 1632. This portrait could very easily be mistaken for a portrait of a younger Rembrandt than we see typically in his painting. Everything from his facial expression to his stance, to what he wearing, you can spot this Rembrandt from across the room; it is unmistakably the Dutch Master. The powerful stance of the gentlemen portrayed shows a strong character and the clothing he wears represents his social position. The warm yellows and browns that Rembrandt typically relies upon are also present. This is a superb piece to see in person.

            Konstantin Makovsky’s The Russian Bride’s Attire, painted in 1889, is an oil on canvas and is a wonderful example of realism in Russia before impressionism became popular. His tight brushwork is nearly invisible to the naked eye, and shows the grander and elegance of 19^th century Russia. Like other realistic painters Makovshy used a photographic perspective, filled with a wealth of detail. The extravagance of the attire in the painting shows the status of the subjects at the Russian court. In the foreground we see the bride-to-be in the center in white, while her attendant sits on the floor directly in front of her. Her attendant or confidant appears to be either consoling her about her impending marriage or merely chatting about what is to come. Surrounding the bride, we see a very important looking woman –probably her mother- doing the bride’s hair. And in the background and sides of the painting we see other ladies-in-waiting who are watching the bride prepare for the big day. On the right in the background we see a man – either her father or someone from the groom’s family- attempting to look in on the preparing ladies, but he is turned away by the woman extending her hands in front of him. On the right, we see a dowry chest, filled with what looks like jewels and robes, this shows that this is most probably a royal or aristocratic marriage, most probably arranged by the bride’s parents. This painting is a wonderful example of realism on an academic scale, with the painting reaching 9.16 feet by 12.25 feet.

            Carle Vanloo (or Charles-André Vanloo) was a French subject painter, who’s style varied between the rococo and the baroque. During 1753 he painted a series of four paintings of children as allegories of various subjects: Music, Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture. His painting Music, depicts three small children with correct proportions, in the costumes of adults in the process of playing music. A young girl sits at the small piano, just her size, and plays a piece of music, while two young boys sit around her admiring matching the tune on their own instruments. This would have been seen as a scène typically left for adults who either studied the subject or were considered gods or muses. Vanloo changing the age of his subjects gives the painting a more innocent turn, as children often mimic adults, which brings a scene of innocence. It also denotes artisan qualities as being blessed by the gods. These children are seen as virtuosos performing in their craft at such a young age, something that would have been unheard of at the time. The painting compared to other baroque artists has lighter coloring more similar to the rococo style, but the brushwork, the way2 the models are portrayed, and the subject matter is more reminiscent of baroque artists.

            The Legion of Honor in San Francisco is a beautiful museum with plenty of space, which allows each painting and sculpture to be exhibited properly. The museum is filled with works by old masters, and popular paintings ranging from ancient times to contemporary impressionists. All of the paintings are well-stored, well light, and rotated when they are being cleaned. The museum also works to acquire new art, offering regular visitors the opportunity to view new pieces. The Legion of Honor is a wonderful museum to visit for those who have an affinity for European art.

Viking Ships - The Horses of the Waves

The Vikings were the masters of the water! With their swift ships they were considered the Horses of the Waters. They were symbols of power and speed.

A Viking Ship on Display at the City Museum of Oslo

The Viking Age (793 - 1066 C.E.) was the time of the sleek, agile longship. Through the Vikings' advanced ship technology they became the dominant force in medieval warfare, politics, and trade. 

The dragon-headed ships of the vikings (like the one pictured above) were known as Drekar. They were quickly made (about 2 to 3 weeks) and could cross open oceans with their large square sail or oar up and down rivers to be able to attack with speed never before seen in Medieval Europe. Their ships far surpassed the ships of the English and the Frankish. With their powerful navy, the Vikings won large territories from the North of England to the North of Africa. 

With the success of their navy, the Vikings soon created many other kinds of ships that could aid them in more that just concurring. Among the new ships that the Vikings created there was the Knarr, a ship that could carry cargo and cross oceans. This ship enabled to Vikings to be able to establish colonies in Iceland, Greenland, and America. The Knarr, while similar to the Drekar, was higher and wider in length and had cargo desks installed. 

With their powerful navy, the Vikings believed that they could get anywhere with their boats. Therefore, the Viking Ships were an important part of their burial rituals. To the Vikings, the ship symbolized safe passage to the afterlife. Each ship in preparation was securely moored, and anchored to protect the corpse's body. The ship was also filled with their belongings and other things that the Vikings believed would help them in the afterlife. 

"Thus he [Odin] established by law that all dead men [men in terms of mankind, this included women] should be burned, and their belongings laid with them upon the pile, and the ashes be cast into the sea or buried in the earth. Thus, said he, every one will come to Valhalla with the riches he had with him upon the pile; and he would also enjoy whatever he himself had buried in the earth. For men of consequence a mound should be raised to their memory, and for all other warriors who had been distinguished for manhood a standing stone; which custom remained long after Odin's time."

- Heimskringla (or The Story of the Yngling Family from Odin to Halfdan the Black)

The above passage describes the Viking Mythology behind the burial ritual. It describes how the deceased was first burned with their belongings so that they may take them with them to the afterlife and then was either buried or cast out to sea in a boat.

Ships were an integral part of life for the Vikings and through their technology were the masters of the water during the Viking Age, an age that last for over 200 years.

The Helm of Awe and other Magical Staves

The Vikings' magical signs and staves can be found in Icelandic grimoires (books of magic). According the Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft some of the signs seem to be derived from medieval mysticism and renaissance occultism, while others show some relation to runic culture and the old Germanic belief in Thor and Odin. 

An example of a seal from a Grimoire

The Helm of Awe is the viking symbol of protection and was a magical stave. It was worn by the vikings between the eyes, often on their helmets, as a form of magic that induced fear in their enemies and protected against the abuse of power. The Helm of Awe (or Helm of Terror) in its many forms most often has eight three-forked ends.

Hulinhjalmur is a magical sign to make yourself invisible.

It was beleived if you drew the Veidistafur in wren's blood on a caul with a pen made of a raven's feather, then put it in a gimlet hole under the prow of your ship that you will always have a good catch.

If the Efohreintsveimarum was carved over the door of the house and an awl of juniper or silver was made this symbol was thought to keep the house clean.

The Angurgapi was carved on the ends of barrels to prevent leaking.

The Kaupalokar was used to promote prosper in trade; this stave was drawn on furry paper and kept secretly under one's left arm, success in trading was then thought to be ensured.

From a privatly owned 19th centery manucript

The Boar of the Anglo-Saxons

To the Anglo-Saxons the boar was a symbol of kingship, plenty, and protection in battle. It was seen in the everyday life of the nordic Anglo-Saxons, and was eaten along with apples at the ceremony of the mid-winter feast. It was also a symbol of strength and fertility. The boar with its crescent shaped tusks also symbolized the "Great Goddess" which was the goddess of battle, motherhood, and as the "Great Sow" (symbol of death).

The Symbol of a Boar

According to Thegns of Mercia the complex etymology of the boar is as follows:

"It would appear that the fundamental name for a ‘pig’ in Old English is sú or sugu. This means ‘sow’ and is cognate with the Old Norse sýr and the Old High German sau. These are derived from the Proto-Germanic sugó, which is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European suhzkéhz, which is similar to the Sanskrit sukarah - a wild boar or swine. An associated word with the same roots is the Old English swín / swýn which gives us the modern word ‘swine’. This is cognate with the Old Norse svín.

There seem to be two words in Old English specifically for the Wild Boar. These are Eofor (“Ever”) and Bár. Eofor, which is cognate with the Old High German ebur and the Old Norse jór / jöfur, derives from the Proto-Germanic eburaz, which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European epuros. This is also the source of Latin aper - meaning ‘a wild boar’. Our modern English word ‘boar’ comes from the Old English bár. from West-Germanic *bairaz. This is said to be of unknown origin with no cognates outside West Germanic. It is tempting to derive it from the Proto-Indo-European root b(h)ars / bars - “bristling”. The modern English term ‘hog’, comes from Old English hogg. This is thought to be a borrowing from Old Norse höggva - to chop or cut."

A Anglo-Saxon Pin representing a Boar

The boar as a symbol of protection in battle is often seen on Anglo-Saxon war helmets. The golden boar was a symbol of divine power; often connected with the sun god Frey (only the golden boar is connected to the sun god Frey since gold was connected with his magic).

The Boar not only was adorned ceremonial objects, but also practical weapons as well. The Anglo-Saxons believed that anything with the adorned with the symbol of a boar was endowed with a magic energy that would suppress the fears of the user and inspire the warrior to to be brave in battle.

Image of the Gold Boar that placed upon the helmet in the Picture Below (Last Image)

The infamous Berserker warriors of the Anglo-Saxons were almost cult-like in their symbolism. They belonged to an elite order of Odin. In battle they wore only skins of boars, bears, or wolves; as well as a mixture of potent herbs that they believed would endow them with power of the animal that they wore. The Berserker  Warriors were fierce and charged into battle without any notion of maintaining personal safety, believing that any Berserker warrior was guaranteed a place in Valhalla. 

Vendel era bronze plate. Place of discovery: Öland, Sweden. Depicted are a berserker on the right and Oden on the left.

The Berserker Warriors even had an attack named the "Boar's Snout" (or Swine Array) which Berserker Warriors believed was given to the Viking People by Odin, the God of War. The Boar's Snout was used to create a hole in the enemy's shield wall and strike fear and panic through the opposing side. 

The Caduceus of Ancient Greek

The caduceus is a rod or staff with two serpents entwined around it. It is also referred to as "herald's staff" as it was also carried by heralds.

The Caduceus Symbol

Rama

The caduceus is the symbol of Hermes, the Greek God of transitions and boundaries. The caduceus was also used to symbolize commerce and negotiations.

The caduceus was not originally Hermes', but it was given to him by his half-brother Apollo. In the Homeric Hymns about Hermes, it is said that Hermes had stolen cattle from Apollo, and as compensation for stealing the cattle Hermes gave Apollo his lyre which was fashioned from a tortoise shell. As a sign of friendship Apollo returned the gesture by giving Hermes the caduceus. 

A statue of Hermes

The caduceus through its symbolization of the god Hermes (Mercury to the Romans) also symbolized the element mercury, the astrological symbol, and the planet. The modern symbol used for mercery came from the caduceus.

The symbol for Mercury

The caduceus, also known as the "Wand of Mercury," was thought in antiquity to possess magical properties; that would gently part the souls from the dying body and wake the dead.

Passage from the book explaining the magical properties of the wand of Mercury: Lives of the necromancers: or, An account of the most eminent persons in successive ages, who have claimed for themselves, or to whom has been imputed by others, the exercise of magical power (1834) (Page 37)

DID YOU KNOW?

The caduceus is also commonly mistaken for the medical symbol, the Rod of Asclepius.

A study from Walter J Friedlander's The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus symbol in medicine stated that, "The rod of Asclepius is the dominant symbol for professional healthcare associations in the United States. One survey found that 62% of professional healthcare associations used the rod of Asclepius as their symbol. The same survey found that 76% of commercial healthcare organizations used the Caduceus symbol." 

The Medical Symbol using the Rod of Asclepius

The Mysteries of Eleusis

The Eleusinian Mysteries was the cult of Demeter and Persephone which was based at Eleusis in Ancient Greece. The cult revolved around the myth of Persephone being returned to her mother from te underworld every spring. It was a major festival during the Hellenic Era for the Greeks (the festival even spread to Rome).

The Return of Persephone (1891)

Frederic Leighton

The rites, ceremonies, and rituals were kept a secret and the only persons allowed were:

1. Priests, priestesses, and Hierophants
2. Initiates, undergoing the ceremony for the first time
3. Those who have already been initiated, and were eligible for 
4. Those who had obtained ἐποπτεία (épopteia or "contemplation"), who had learned the secrets of the greatest mysteries of Demeter

Demeter

While the exact actions of the cult of Demeter and Persephone where not known to modern scholars and were not written down, from the art made of the Eleusinian Mysteries it is thought that they had three revelations during the initiation. The first of Persephone, then of Persephone giving birth in fire to a divine child named Aeon, and then of a ear of wheat, to represent the coming of a new year. 

Demeter (2012)

Jjlovely

These ceremonies were thought to hold the human races together, and were observed for 2,000 years and only came to an end with the sacking of Eleusis by the Goths in 396 BCE.

Votive plaque depicting elements of the Eleusinian Mysteries. National Archaeological Museum, Athens

Greek Temples - The Earthly Home of the Gods

Many civilizations through history have temples for payer or various activities of religious life. The ancient Greeks had temples for their various gods and each temple was dedicated to one god specifically. 

View from Philopappos Hill in Athens (Attica, Greece) — Acropolis of Athens

Model of the Temple of Zeus

Originally the temples were made out wood, but that was soon abandoned for better building materials like stone or marble. The Temples were brightly painted and would often have a large statue of their god inside. The painting would often depict the exploits of the gods or heros. 

Reconstruction of original painted state on a scaffolding covering the Temple of Concordia, Akragas.

Part of the Parthenon frieze (cast), in situ on W side of naos

The ancient greek temple was often the site of each deity's cult. Where rituals were preformed and offerings to the gods were made. Temples were also site were the common people would come to pray to the specific god for help or luck.

Illustration of Doric (first three), Ionic (next three) and Corinthian (final two) columns.

Features of a Doric temple, Greece

The (Not so Ancient) Olympic Rings & Pierre de Coubertin

The symbol of the olympic is its rings which consist of five interlocking rings, one for each continent: blue, yellow, black, green and red on a "field of white."

The Olympic Rings

While the Olympics have been around since the ancient times of Greece, the modern Olympics were started with the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin.

"…the six colors [which includes the white canvas background] thus combined reproduce the colors of all the nations, with no exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tri- colors of France, England and America, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, the yellow and red of Spain next to the novelties of Brazil or Australia, with old Japan and new China. Here is truly an international symbol."

Pierre de Coubertin

Pierre de Coubertin was a french aristocrat, educator, and historian, who wished to improve physical education in French schools. In 1850, de Coubertin has initiated a local athletic competition he called the "Meetings of the Olympian Class." During that time other countries like Britain also wished to improve their physical education, and the Liverpool Athletic Club also hosted their own Olympics. While more and more countries were thinking about physical education and starting their own Olympics; it was Coubertin's work that would start the International Olympic Committee.

The Headcounters of the International Olympic Committe

The summer of 1886, the first Modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece. These games were first financed by the philanthropic cousins Evangelos Zappas and Konstantions Zappas. 

A picture from the 1886 Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games did not have the same image of the olympics rings that we know today, instead the symbol of the Olympic rings were not created until 1912 when they were designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. In 1914 with the outbreak of WWI the Olympics were put on hold and so the rings made their debut during 1920 summer Olympics. 

A poster from the 1920 summer Olympics

In the 1950s, British Authors Lynn and Gray Poole found an "ancient" carving of the Olympic rings in Delphi, Greece. The authors thinking it was an ancient altar piece published an article about it in their book, which sparked the rumor that the rings may have been an ancient symbol. 

Cartoon from the 1936 Summer Olympics

In fact, the stone was carved for the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin. Why was the stone in Delphi then? Carl Diem, the president of the organizing committee at the time, wanted to to have the relay of the Olympic Flame from its lighting point in Olympia to the Olympic stadium in Berlin. Diem, who is supposed to have a theatrical flair, included a stop at Delphi which included a "ancient" torchbearers' stadium and a "ancient"  three-foot-tall stone altar with the modern symbol of the Olympic rings. 

The "ancient" altar piece left in Delphi

While most of the altar was removed from the site, the stone containing the Olympic rings were placed near the entrance to an ancient site, where it was found by Lynn and Gray Poole. 

The Laurel Wreath of the Classical Age

The laurel wreath is a circular wreath made from the branches of the Laurus Nobilis, the Ruscus Hypoglossum, or the Prunus Iaurocerasus. In ancient Greece, laurels most often took the shape of a horse shoe. 

Golden laurel wreath, probably from Cyprus, 4th/3rd century BC; Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim, Germany

Photo: Andreas Praefcke

In Greek Mythology, Apollo the sun god is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head. The Ancient Greeks wore laurel wreaths on their heads as a sign of victory or during poetic meetings, though they could also be worn as a symbol of high status by the ruling class. 

Ancient Statue depicted wearing a Laurel Wreath

During the classical age, the laurel wreath was worn to show the attainment of a masters degree; the laurel was given to the scholar durning the graduation ceremony. This custom is still preformed today in various countries at the masters and doctorate levels.

The Latin Poet Ovid wearing a laurel wreath

DID YOU KNOW?

That the term "laureate" in "poet laureate" refers to being signified by the laurel wreath?

Pre-Raphaelite paintings depicting women wearing Laurel Wreaths