Afghanistan at the British Museum

[marcus]

Dear all,

"Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World" will be at the British Museum from 3 March to 3 July 2011. As it's "A major loan from the National Museum, Kabul", I assume this is the one that has already toured the US?

Perhaps those who saw the expo in the US could give us a reminder of it?

Anyway, the British Museum will be taking bookings from November 2010 (although if you are a member you will get in for free, and won't even have to book).

BTW, US Pothosians should have a quick look at the notice I've put in the Off-topic Forum, regarding a theatre event on Afghanistan that will be touring the US from September.

ATB

[sikander]

Greetings Marcus,

I hope you enjoy the Afghnaistan exhibit.

For other Pothosians, there are some other exhibits that might be of interest:

Franklin Institute, Philadelpha: Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, through January 2

The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse, International Museum of the Horse, Kentucky, through October 15 (You can see a 2000 year old bridle)

Heroes and Kings of the Shahnama (the Book of Kings), Chster Beatty Library, Dublin, coming November 19 (shows folios from the pre-Islamic Iranian text)

Regards,
Sikander

[marcus]

For other Pothosians, there are some other exhibits that might be of interest:

Franklin Institute, Philadelpha: Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, through January 2

The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse, International Museum of the Horse, Kentucky, through October 15 (You can see a 2000 year old bridle)

Heroes and Kings of the Shahnama (the Book of Kings), Chster Beatty Library, Dublin, coming November 19 (shows folios from the pre-Islamic Iranian text)

Hi Sikander,

These all look rather good. I wonder whether I ought to go to Dublin for Christmas, to see the Shahnama one. Or maybe it will come to London afterwards?

I ought to add, also, that from November 4 the BM is also doing an expo on the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Not directly Alexander related, but probably worth a good look.

ATB

[amyntoros]

Dear all,

"Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World" will be at the British Museum from 3 March to 3 July 2011. As it's "A major loan from the National Museum, Kabul", I assume this is the one that has already toured the US?

Perhaps those who saw the expo in the US could give us a reminder of it?

Did some checking and, yes, this is the one that toured the US. I advise everyone who can go to the museum to do so because you'll never have the opportunity again. In fact, you weren't supposed to have this opportunity because it was previously understood that the gold and artifacts were to be returned to the museum in Kabul after the American tour. As this site says:

Although Londoners will get the opportunity to see this important collection, the prolongation of the tour to 2011 suggests that it will be some years before the National Museum in Kabul will be in a position to display its treasures. This reflects problems with the existing museum building and the general lack of security in Kabul.

Although there are only 230 artifacts (although I'm curious if the British Museum may add some of their own in adjoining rooms) they are well worth seeing. The gold is most impressive, of course, but I was equally taken with artifacts such as the Alexandrian glass which looked for all the world like ancient versions of McDonald's painted tumblers! And if they show the little National Geographic documentary do look out for the shocking image of looting damage at Ai Khanum. And buy the book of the exhibit - which I'm presuming will be re-published under the auspices of the British Museum - 'cause it's well worth the small investment. I love it.

Best regards,

[amyntoros]

Almost forgot ... okay, I did forget ... the Alexander the Great exhibition from the Hermitage is coming to the Netherlands in September.

Alexander the Great
September 18 - March 18
Hermitage Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Previously seen at the State Hermitage (Saint Petersburg) in 2007, this exhibition covers all the lands Alexander the Great (356 BC - 323 BC) came into contact with on his campaign of conquest in the East: Persia, Egypt, Afghanistan, India, up to the borders of Mongolia. "The immortal Alexander the Great:
The myth, the reality, his journey, his legacy" is the first exhibition to present Hellenism on such a large scale as a global process of reciprocal influence between different civilizations and cultures.
Paintings, tapestries and decorative art depicted Alexander's life and history. The exhibition covers all these aspects, with objects from classical antiquity to the modern age, of Western and non-Western origins.

Best regards,

[amyntoros]

A little more info on the Amsterdam Hermitage exhibition, this time from The Wall Street Journal.

This fourth-century globe-trotting Macedonian ruler never made it as far north as the Netherlands, but the Dutch will host more than 350 objects from around the world to illustrate Alexander's exploits and cultural influence. "The Immortal Alexander the Great," at Amsterdam's branch of the Hermitage, will include the Gonzaga Cameo, a reddish sardonyx engraving of Alexander that shows off his fabled good looks, and brightly painted manuscripts from 15th-century Persia like "Iskandar and the Hermit," created to entertain the sultans.

The Hermitage Amsterdam also commissioned Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf to make a short film in which images of the young conqueror appear to blend into—or peer out of—a few of the exhibit pieces, many of which are already plastered with Alexander's face.

Best regards,

[marcus]

A little more info on the Amsterdam Hermitage exhibition, this time from The Wall Street Journal.

This fourth-century globe-trotting Macedonian ruler never made it as far north as the Netherlands, but the Dutch will host more than 350 objects from around the world to illustrate Alexander's exploits and cultural influence. "The Immortal Alexander the Great," at Amsterdam's branch of the Hermitage, will include the Gonzaga Cameo, a reddish sardonyx engraving of Alexander that shows off his fabled good looks, and brightly painted manuscripts from 15th-century Persia like "Iskandar and the Hermit," created to entertain the sultans.

The Hermitage Amsterdam also commissioned Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf to make a short film in which images of the young conqueror appear to blend into—or peer out of—a few of the exhibit pieces, many of which are already plastered with Alexander's face.

Best regards,

This sounds really good. I haven't been to St Petersberg, and don't know when I might get the chance to go (although my mother flew out there yesterday, lucky devil!). However, a quick hop over to Amsterdam would be perfectly feasible, especially if the exhibition is on until mid-March. That might be a good weekend! Perhaps we should hold an Amsterdam gathering of Pothosians (who can get there)?

Here's the page from the Hermitage Amsterdam itself. (However, look through the 'Highlights of the Exhibition' page and see if you can spot the mistake!)

And, for the sake of interest, on the Hermitage website they include the old quote about Alexander weeping for there are no more worlds left to conquer - see here. Now, they firmly attribute the quote to Plutarch (Moralia), which still seems to me to be the likeliest source - see the Pothos article written by Nick Welman (some years ago, now).

Meanwhile, I'll be at the BM between March and July, without a doubt!

ATB

[Taphoi]

Here's the page from the Hermitage Amsterdam itself. (However, look through the 'Highlights of the Exhibition' page and see if you can spot the mistake!)

Perhaps you mean the amusing failure to spot the "elephant in the room" in the Audran engraving after Le Brun, which is pretty evidently Porus at the Hydaspes, but is captioned:

Gérard Audran (1640–1703), after Charles Le Brun, Alexander the Great crossing the Granicus, 1672, Etching, burin, printed on four sheets

Best wishes,

Andrew

[marcus]

Perhaps you mean the amusing failure to spot the "elephant in the room" in the Audran engraving after Le Brun, which is pretty evidently Porus at the Hydaspes, but is captioned:

Gérard Audran (1640–1703), after Charles Le Brun, Alexander the Great crossing the Granicus, 1672, Etching, burin, printed on four sheets

Best wishes,

Andrew

Got it in one, Andrew! I thought someone would see it fairly quickly. On another page they show the picture again and caption it correctly, however, as the valour of Poros (or something similar).

ATB

[Taphoi]

On another page they show the picture again and caption it correctly, however, as the valour of Poros...

Ah yes. I see the engraver is not Audran, although it is from a Le Brun original.

The Audran series of engravings of the Triumphs of Alexander by Charles Le Brun are justly famous (Le Brun was Court Painter to the Sun King). They were considered the top masterpieces of the engraver's art in the 18th century. The larger versions are five feet wide. One is indeed the moment at the Granicus when Cleitus saved Alexander's life, so we can infer that that is in the exhibition. I have the later Dallenne copies of the Granicus and Gaugamela and the triumphal entry into Babylon. I link to them here from my Image Galleries on my website:







I actually own an original Audran (in the smaller 2 foot wide format) of the most famous of all: the one where the defeated Porus is brought before Alexander after the Hydaspes - it is not on my website yet, but I have put an image in this attachment:

Porus before Alexander: Audran engraving after Charles Le Brun

PorusAudranLeBrun1672.jpg (169.67 KiB) Viewed 5517 times

The other one is the meeting between Alexander & Hephaistion and the Persian Queens after Issus:



I also own a bronze statuette of Alexander that is obviously inspired by the Le Brun paintings:



Unfortunately, it has lost its mount, but it would be nice if it turned out to be from the Gobelins!

Although the Le Brun series is truly spectacular, the twin inspirations for his Alexander seem to have been the Athena on Alexander's gold staters and a flattering version of the Sun King himself.



Best wishes,
Andrew