Treasure Ships

July 6, 2015 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | ART, Ulalume | 0 Comments |

4 frigates capturing Spanish Treasure Ships (Francis Sartorius, 1804) Not in this collection

(Art in the Age of Spices, Art Gallery of SA July 2015)

P, liking ‘boaty’ paintings, was prompted to see this exhibition collecting some of the good things to come of the spice age and the tender mercies of the Dutch East Indies Company.  Our favourite pieces:  the sumptuous Scholar in his Studio c 1655 by Abraham Van Den Hecken;a glowing St Cecilia:an allegory of music, c. 1650 by Francesco Fieravino, some 15th C ‘pop-up’ books showing the world as known before they closed the circle on Terra Australis, a reliquary from Goa containing a thorn from the Crown of Christ (but we failed to spot the Certificate of Authenticity) and a serpentine ceremonial dagger or keris, finished in gold alloys and encrusted with diamonds and semi precious stones, donated to the Gallery by Geoffrey Hackett Jones, a patron and member of the Richard Wagner Society of SA who passed away recently, who’ll be sorely missed.

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NOTE: The Varnished Culture recommends the erudite review by Christopher Allen in ‘The Weekend Australian’ (1 August 2015).

 

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