Destruction, Looting Of Syria’s Ancient Heritage Continues, Report Says

by Sean McLachlan on


The upheaval in Syria has been going on for more than a year now, and in that time thousands of people have been killed, including many civilians and children. Syria’s many ancient sites are also getting damaged. Previously, we’ve talked about how the Syrian army has shelled the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of which there are six in the country.

A report by the Global Heritage Fund states that these and many other sites and museums, are getting damaged and looted in the chaos. Sites like Tell Sheikh Hamad, pictured above in this Wikimedia Commons image. This Assyrian town was inhabited for several centuries and archaeologists have found numerous cuneiform inscriptions there. Recently it became a battleground between the Syrian army and deserters. An Assyrian temple reportedly collapsed when it got hit by shellfire and the rest of the site likely suffered serious damage as well.

The medieval citadel of Hama has also been shelled, as can be seen in the video below.

Besides the fighting, historic sites are getting damaged by troops digging trenches, tanks rolling over fragile areas, and snipers building positions atop historic homes. Not even mosques have been safe, with several historic mosques suffering damage.

Looting is also a serious problem since members of museum staff are often not around to guard their collections due to the fighting. In Crac des Chevaliers, looters kicked out the staff at gunpoint and started digging.

With no end in sight for the Syrian Civil War, it’s certain that more of the nation’s previous heritage will be destroyed or stolen.

Medieval Tarot Deck, Webster’s Dictionary Manuscript Among Treasures On Display In New York

by Sean McLachlan on

The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City has opened its annual summer exhibition of rare items from its collection. These include everything from a draft of George Washington’s inaugural speech to a deck of medieval tarot cards, including the one shown here in this Wikimedia Commons image.

This card is the Wheel of Fortune, and comes from the Visconti-Sforza tarot deck, made in Milan c. 1450. The tarot cards are some of the oldest of 29 items on display. Much of the collection is more recent but no less interesting.

One item of interest to any reader is Noah Webster’s original manuscript for his first dictionary. The dictionary was first published in 1828 after Webster spent 27 years and learned 26 languages to complete it. Webster had the distinction of creating the first American dictionary, and he was the last to tackle the massive task alone.

Other items include Oscar Wilde’s manuscript for “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” including homoerotic passages excised from the print version; a letter from Ernest Hemingway to The Paris Review; and Edgar Allen Poe’s manuscript of “Tamerlane.”

The collection will remain open to the public through September 8.

Maxfield Parrish Retrospective At The National Museum Of American Illustration

by Sean McLachlan on


He was one of the most popular illustrators of his day and his work remains immediately recognizable more than forty years after his death. Their rich, deep hues and fantastic imagery appeal to both children and adults.

Now Maxfield Parrish is being honored with a major retrospective at the National Museum of American Illustration in Newport, Rhode Island. “Maxfield Parrish: The Retrospective” brings together works from his seventy-year career as an illustrator, from early illustrations of Mother Goose and Grimm’s fairy tales to his later advertising images.

One good example is this painting titled “The Dinky Bird” from 1904, seen here in this image courtesy Wikimedia Commons. It illustrated the Eugene Field poem of the same title in Field’s book “Poems of Childhood” and captures the joy, innocence and make-believe setting of that poem: “the land of Wonder-Wander, whither children love to go.” This major exhibition promises to be a land of Wonder-Wander itself.

“Maxfield Parrish: The Retrospective” runs until September 2.

Art Institute Of Chicago Opens Roy Lichtenstein Exhibition

by Sean McLachlan on

The Art Institute of Chicago has one great exhibition after another and is definitely on Gadling’s top ten list of things to see in the Windy City. Now they’ve opened the largest exhibition of Roy Lichtenstein’s artwork ever to be shown.

“Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective“ includes more than 160 works from all phases of the famous Pop artist’s career, from his early comic book imitations through his experiments with Surrealism to his later nudes and Chinese landscapes.

Although Lichtenstein died in 1997, his work is immediately recognizable and collectable today. This exhibition shows how truly diverse he was as a creator. While the comic strips will undoubtedly get the most attention as they always do, visitors will have a chance to see what else this influential artist got up to.

“Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective” runs from May 22-September 3.

[Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Four UK Museums On Shortlist For Art Fund Prize

by Sean McLachlan on

Four UK museums have made the shortlist for the Annual Art Fund Prize. The winner will get a hefty £100,000 ($161,000) donation, most welcome in these times of economic austerity.

One of the museums, the Hepworth Wakefield, only opened a year ago and has already smashed attendance expectations by attracting half a million visitors. Located in Yorkshire, it focuses on contemporary art and has an innovative modern building design.

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter is housed in an elaborate Victorian building and has a broad-based collection ranging from local archaeological finds to Egyptian mummies, British watercolors and digital art. There’s also a natural history section with fossils, birds, insects and a rather intimidating tiger.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh reopened last December after a major renovation and now features free entrance and 60 percent more space to show off all those guys in kilts. The Watts Gallery in Guildford showcases the work of famous painter G.F. Watts as well as a huge collection of Victorian photographs and temporary exhibitions of British art.

The winner will be announced on June 19.

[Top photo of Hepworth Wakefield courtesy Carl Milner]