What I was supposed to be doing, what I actually did

March 12, 2020 at 12:35 am (Art, History)

Today I was scheduled to attend two sessions of my Lifelong Learning classes. First (AM):

The Epic of Gilgamesh!

Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals [Wikipedia]

I’ve been enjoying the study of this ancient text. For three weeks now, I’ve been wandering around the house declaiming “Gilgamesh!!” ” Enkidu!!” “Utnapishtim!!” and my personal favorite, “Lugalbanda!!” (with Ron gamely trying to replicate my occasionally flawed pronunciation).

Our lecturer has a doctorate in languages of the ancient Near East. He is amazing! (And no, this is not him; I just  thought it was pretty cool):

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In the afternoon, Rembrandt/Velasquez – a delicious immersion in the greatest of the old masters.

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Thus far, our lecturer has introduced us to Annibale Carracci:

Annibale Carracci Boy Drinking, 1582-1583

Self-portrait, 1590-1600

and the Caravaggisti, so-called followers of Caravaggio, who were mostly active in the late 1500s to the early 1600s:

Mars Chastising Cupid, by Bartolomeo Manfredi (1582-1622)

Christ Amongst the Doctors, by Orazio Borgianni (1574-1616)

Madonna and Child with Saint Anne and an Angel, by Carlo Saraceni, c.1608-1610

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Alas!! Classes were canceled today, due to  the corona virus outbreak. So instead of hearing about the fascinating history of Mesopotamia in which Gilgamesh is embedded, and seeing the gorgeous slides of the Old Masters, I found myself at the local CVS, beseeching the saleslady.

This excursion, at least, was a success. Behold: a 32 fl. oz. container of CVS brand hand sanitizer (photographed beside  a 16 fl. oz bottle of Snapple to establish scale):

I waited in line for about fifteen minutes. This was the only size available, and they were allowing only one container per customer. Still, I felt lucky to get it at all.

Hopefully, this will end soon, and I pray that the sick and vulnerable will be spared.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

To conclude on a more upbeat note, here are two flash mob videos for you to enjoy. The first one I just discovered today; the second is one of my all time favorites.

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This flash mob was staged in a shopping mall in The Netherlands; the occasion was the reopening of Amsterdam’s celebrated Rijksmuseum in 2013, after a renovation that went substantially over budget and took ten years to complete instead of the projected five.

‘Onze helden zijn terug’ translates into English as “Our heroes are back.’