Heh, I got it, good idea. And not politically correct to boot! Nice!
Posted on 10/27/2018 4:54:10 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The Mona Lisa is way over rated. Compared to the rest of the paintings in just that wing L’ouvre it’s easily the least impressive painting.
Several years ago, I was in Pompeii taking incredible photos of everything I found interesting. I came into an area where I found three Amphora wine vessels leaning up against a wall. Once I got my photo, I walked out and was confronted by the tour guide. He told me that I was in an area that was restricted because of the sensitive nature of ancient structures. Back then, they were afraid that the traffic of tourists would destroy the roadway through the ruins. I think, if they were so careful back then, they must be just as careful now.
I went to college with a, well, it was a D&D-playing time, so, a bunch of dorks, including me. One guy who lived somewhere down the hall but hung out with my next-room neighbors had led a posh childhood, and claimed to have found "authentic Roman dice" in a crack in the floor in the Coliseum. Tour guides at ancient sites are, of course, notorious for 'salting' the areas where the tourists are heading. At Giza, tour guides were known for sending their marks on hunts for "fossil wheat" that sure enough turned up in little nooks and crannies. Compared with Pompeii, the Coliseum has nothing to steal, it's been pretty exposed and stripped clean, standing out in the open since it was constructed. Old paintings of 200-300 years ago show trees growing on upper rim.
Also, the construction is that of barrel vaults which start large on the outside and converge to a smaller size (hor. and vert.), making the structure crazy strong, ridiculously hard to knock down. Just leaning on a wall probably won't do much, even if one has brought along a pet elephant.
I stumbled on those once, started with one of the scenic tourist traps of the Amalfi coast I think, or maybe Santorini, and the Roku YT app juat kept playing them.
Heh, I got it, good idea. And not politically correct to boot! Nice!
The Mona Lisa was stolen from the museum and copied multiple times in a forgery scam — the rich marks were carefully vetted, each paid a fortune for one of the forgeries, thinking he’d won the closed envelope auction, and when the original (apparently the original) was returned to the museum, none of the marks dared come clean in an effort to get their money back for the fake they’d paid for.
There’s also the Islesworth Mona Lisa, other sidebars:
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/isleworthmonalisa/index
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2937799/posts
there are meds for that Chad we’ve come a long way since Halperidol
very well done on the nick btw
Without much to go on I’d guess that sounds like a shakedown opportunity by the tour guide. I’ve read about antiquities being returned to Pompeii by old retired tourists nearing dead, or by their heirs, carried right on off the site and onto a boat or train and home. Great that they were returned, but A) no one knows where they came from, B) no one at the site ever seems to have missed the item (else it would be simple to put it back, and C) probably means a small bribe made it all possible.
The sites are getting (or have recently had) a thorough mapping and inventory, and the older efforts coordinated with the new stuff. This has happened before. The cost of this stuff, and the lengths of careers, means that without grants and such, the job never quite gets done. That subsumes cats 1, 2, and 3. The money for basic policing and maintenance has to come from #4.
I've often wanted to do that (ancient coins) but alas, no cash. :^)
Excavation of Lord Elgin’s shipwrecked brig “Mentor” off Kithira yields more passenger items
TornosNews.gr 24.10.2018 | 14:25
http://www.tornosnews.gr/en/greek-news/culture/33044-excavation-of-lord-elgin-s-shipwrecked-brig-mentor-yields-more-passenger-items.html
http://www.tornosnews.gr/en/files/Y______._1_Excavation_of_Lord_Elgin_s_shipwrecked_brig_Mentor_yields_more_passenger_items_1_735959598.jpg
The beginnings of these are very similar, may be the same show, one is half again as long, but vid pirates don’t always have great production values, iow, they’re often blithering incompetents. Nevetheless, enjoy:
Pompeii - Life and Death in a Roman Town ( Mary Beard )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbwQJxfepz0
Pompeii: New Secrets Revealed with Mary Beard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB27I_RjjHI
I guess that academia won’t care if they lose a wacko professor. Fair is fair.
Visited Pompeii when I was stationed in Italy - very interesting tour and can’t see why someone would be so cavalier about destroying it.
Cogito, ergo FReepum
I’ve often wanted to do that (ancient coins) but alas, no cash. :^)
If you live near a big city look for coin shows and if you’re lucky, there will be dealers who deal in ancients. Some will even have a ‘take your pick for $5’ box. It is really a fairly cheap way to get authentic ancient art (especially the Greek coins).
Bet the rides suck though.
Very interesting - thanks for the lesson and links. I know so little about art - I wish I got “it” more. Been to many famous art museums - I’ve often felt that I don’t appreciate the works at the level the artists intended. Guess I’m a slightly over educated peasant
I love the Amalfi coast ones, especially Sorrento; and going up through all the little alleyways. At this point I couldn’t navigate that, and it’s nice to be able to see it.
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