The Republic of Benin in West Africa is home to more than forty ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Fon. In the early seventeenth century, the Fon established a society ruled by a dynasty of kings, who over the years forged the powerful kingdom of Dahomey. In their capital city of Abomey, they built a remarkable complex of palaces that became the center of the kingdom's political, social, and religious life. The palace walls were decorated with colorful low-relief sculptures, or bas-reliefs, which recount legends and battles and glorify the history of the dynasty's reign. Over the centuries, these visual stories have represented and perpetuated the history and myths of the Fon people. The Palace Sculptures of Abomey combines lavish color photographs of the bas-reliefs with a lively history of the Dahomey kingdom, complemented by period drawings, rare historical photographs, and colorful textile art. The book provides a vivid portrait of these exceptional narrative sculptures and the equally remarkable people who crafted them. Also included are a reading of the stories on the walls and details of the four-year collaboration between the Benin Ministry of Culture and Communications and the Getty Conservation Institute to conserve the bas-reliefs of Abomey. Final chapters describe the Historic Museum of Abomey, now housed in the palace complex, and discuss the continuing popularity of bas-reliefs in contemporary West African art.
This volume provides a striking account of the life, destruction, rediscovery, and cultural significance of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum and one of its grandest residences—the House of the Bicentenary. This volume vividly recounts, for general readers, the Roman town of Herculaneum, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and uniquely preserved for nearly two thousand years. Initial chapters offer an engaging historical overview of the town during antiquity, including the riveting story of its rediscovery in the eighteenth century, excavation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and broad cultural significance in modern times. Subsequent chapters offer an interpretive tour of the ancient town, then focus on one of Herculaneum’s grandest and most beautifully decorated private residences, known as the House of the Bicentenary. Located on the town’s main street, it has a range of features—original rooms, magnificent wall paintings and mosaics, and remarkable documents—that illuminate daily life in the ancient world. Final chapters bring the story up to date, including recent discoveries about the site and its famous papyrus manuscripts, as well as ongoing conservation initiatives.
This report documents the examination, investigations, and condition assessment carried out in Phase 1 (2011-2016) of the Herculaneum Project for the conservation of the architectural surfaces in the tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary (Casa del Bicentenario), a pilot project being carried out in collaboration with the Herculaneum Conservation Project (HCP), the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum (PA-ERCO) and the GCI to study and conserve the wall paintings and mosaic pavement in this room as an example of a conservation methodology that can be used for similar surfaces on other archaeological sites in the Vesuvian region. The report is the compilation and synthesis of research carried out in this phase of the project, and includes the following chapters:¿Description of Architectural Surfaces in the Tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary, by Leslie Rainer and Francesca Piqué¿Reconstruction and Remounting Materials and Techniques of the Wall Paintings in the Tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary, by Mark Gittins, Maria Luigia Bonaschi, Francesca Piqué, and Leslie Rainer¿Previous Interventions (1939¿2011) to the Tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary, by Leslie Rainer and Kiernan Graves¿Environmental Assessment of the Tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary by Shin Maekawa¿Scientific Report on the Wall Paintings in the Tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary by Kiernan Graves, Francesca Piqué, and Leslie Rainer¿Conditions of the Wall Paintings in the Tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary by Leslie RainerThe chapters incorporate photographic and graphic documentation to illustrate the material discussed. Also included in the report is an illustrated glossary of terms, as well as a selected bibliography of references related to the topic. The ongoing project is currently in the planning phase for implementation of preventive measures and remedial conservation treatments which will be reported on in further project reports.
The Republic of Benin in West Africa is home to more than 40 ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Fon. During the early 17th century, the Fon established a society ruled by a dynasty of kings, who over the years forged the powerful kingdom of Dahomey. In their capital city of Abomey, the rulers built a remarkable complex of palaces which became the centre of the kingdom's political, social and religious life. The palace walls were decorated with colourful low-relief sculptures, or bas-reliefs, recounting legends and battles and glorifying the dynasty's region. In a society with no written language, these visual stories have perpetuated the history and myths of the Fon people.
What Remains" is a catalog of recent paintings by Leslie Parke for an exhibition at Gremillion and Company, Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. As Parke says, "the more elusive and impossible the image is to paint, the more it interests me. A painting succeeds for me when it seems as though the light is emanating from inside." Leslie Parke is an artist from upstate New York and a recipient of the Esther and Adolph Gottlieb Grant for Individual Support. Her work has been exhibited in museums in the United States, Israel and Argentina, and is in numerous private and corporate collections.
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