We saw this piece at the Getty Villa last summer. The statue was in a special climate sealed room, with a door that kept out unwanted moisture. I'm glad we saw him while we still could:

Greek, 300 - 100 BCE
Bronze, 59 5/8 x 27 9/16 x 11 in.
77.AB.30

I noticed an older news item and tracked it down. The Italians want it back. Certainly, a rather shady process of acquisition occurred. "In 1964, the Italian fishermen discovered the ancient bronze in international waters, the last surviving crew member told The Times in 2006. Instead of declaring their find to Italian customs officials, they buried it in a cabbage patch and sold it to middlemen, who hid it in a priest's bathtub before it was smuggled out of the country," according to the La Times.

Of course the seller's Italian lawyers "insisted that Italy had no claim to the statue." Getty considered acquiring the statue jointly with New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. But Met director Thomas Hoving wasn't interested, as:
"'It is clearly understood by us that no commitment is to be made by me on your behalf for the Greek Bronze until certain legal questions are clarified," [he] wrote to Getty in a June 1973 letter." (La Times)

After Getty's death in 1976, the Getty Museum went ahead with the deal, based on what the seller's lawyers said.

Meanwhile, all these years the town of Fano, where the statue was brought to shore, has been wanting it back. They have a life-size bronze replica at the entrance to its port.

However, they're forgetting something! This statue was originally from Greece, and the Italians plundered it from them! "The origin of the statue is unknown, but either Olympia or the youth's hometown is possible. Romans probably carried the statue off from its original location during the first century B.C. or A.D., when Roman collecting of Greek art was at its height." - Getty website.

"Lining the path to the athletic field at Olympia are a number of stone bases
that once supported bronze statues such as this one of a victorious youth."
Image and text from the Getty Museum's info plate

Sunday, February 28, 2010 B
"Momentary Victory"
2:25pm

I placed a small version of Set Slaying Apep above our calendar:

It seemed an appropriate place for Set declares:

"As for me, I am Set, the greatest of strength among the Ennead, and I slay the enemy of Ra daily,
being in front of the Barque-of-Millions, and none other god is able to do it..."

"Daily" means it is only a temporary victory, for each day, the battle must be fought anew. As I seek to become as Set and 'slay' that which would be destructive in my life, I must remember the dailyness of the battle. Today I thought of all the clutter and dirt in my computer area. I wasn't able to find things I needed, and in the frustration, the art I wanted to create sometimes was not created. Apep 'won' those days.

So I tackled the mess. I won today:

Has it really been over a year since the last cleaning?

Monday, March 1, 2010 A
"A Drawing Because I Could Not Sleep"
6:55am

I had all good intentions of going to bed early last night. After all, I'd just read an article about the importance of sufficient sleep for brain function.

I'm going to do better on sleep. Meanwhile, I laid in bed, with a million thoughts racing. So I got up long enough to do an intuitive drawing, in hopes of siphoning the excess energy. It worked. Here's the drawing:

Monday, March 1, 2010 B
"Youthful Ease"
9:36pm

This young lady was the model...
Micron and Sharpie pen on 11x14 bristol board, then digitally colored...

Friday, March 5, 2010
"Here's Looking at You"
8:54pm

The work week and some bad salsa have been survived. I look forward to a weekend of fun and creativity. Meanwhile, here's a quick drawing I did this morning:

Sketched from this young man, minus spectacles...

Saturday, March 6, 2010
"'Brave' - Friday Illustration"
8:17am

BRAVEry means being bigger than your doubts...

Sunday, March 7, 2010 A
"With a Grain of Salt"
8:24am

I was visiting a website last night that was more than a little 'woo-woo'. Outrageous claims were being presented as 'facts'. I told Julia I was going to take it 'with a grain of salt'. Julia was purusing a Latin phrase website, and had just read "Cum grano salis" as I said 'with a grain of salt'. A fun synchonicity that I had to celebrate with a drawing.

Sunday, March 7, 2010 B
"With a Grain of Salt - Color Version"
3:04pm