Portrait of Browne

Why o why is this superb oil painting of Sir Thomas Browne hidden away from the gaze of the general public in the vestry of Saint Peter Mancroft? The Gunton portrait of a very red-haired,slightly older Browne is on display in a wing of the church of Saint Peter Mancroft along with other Browne memorabilia, and to be fair, if one requests nicely, it's possible to obtain a viewing of this portrait. But only if one requests so. Why?

But perhaps with the rise of the internet this portrait has the potential to be better known than any volume of visitor's traipsing into the vestry at Saint Peters'.

Browne attended service at Saint Peter's whenever his profession allowed, but it's his miscellaneous tract Repertorium,  an inventory of artefacts in Norwich Cathedral, which displays his knowledge of the history of the Church of England best.

As ever the city of Norwich is v. slow to proclaim its cultural heritage, probably because, in Browne's case, there's no-one able to mak an articulate statement upon him; perhaps, because somehow, in the imagination of the historically naive, he's wrongly assessed as a non-PC fellow.

Tulips

This troop of tulips spotted in a garden by one of the busiest inner-road junctions in the City. Nevertheless standing proud against the noise and fumes.

A certain seventeenth century medical undergraduate was in Holland during the height of 'Tulipmania' (1630-34) when vast fortunes were speculated and exchanged upon the sale of rare Tulip-bulbs. I just love the story of one speculator who having spent a small fortune on a rare bulb, when arriving at the docks to collect his expensive bulb, saw to his horror a workman tucking into a sandwich, adding to it what he believed to be an onion. The poor unfortunate was prosecuted heavily for his mistaken error.

There's an allusion to tulip-mania in the dedicatory epistle to Sir Thomas Browne's 'The Garden of Cyrus';  a mirthful and tongue-in-cheek observation upon the extremes some gardeners have gone to in their horticultural passion.

Some commendably affected Plantations of venemous Vegetables, some confined their delights unto single plants, and Cato seemed to dote upon Cabbage; While the Ingenuous delight of Tulipists, stands saluted with hard language, even by their own Professors.'

There's also the botanical query in 'The Garden of Cyrus'-

How the triangular capp in the stemme or stylus of Tuleps doth constantly point at three outward leaves.

I remember cycling in '83 through the vast industrial-sized fields of tulips cultivated in Holland. A truly eye-watering optical experience.

Hebrew Zodiac

Mosaic on the floor of the 6th Century (CE) synagogue at Bet Alfa, Israel.

More incontrovertible evidence of the syncretic nature of religious beliefs. The long time spent in exile by the Jews in Babylon resulted in the adoption of aspects of Babylonian astrological symbolism. This is most clearly evident in Ezekiel's vision of the Tetramorph which was later adopted by Christianity to symbolize the various attributes of the four Gospel authors. The quaternary of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John corresponding to the 'Fixed Cross' of astrology, Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio. Clearly no taint or impurity of religious belief was felt by such syncretic association, even after almost a thousand years post Babylonian exile.

New Government

Well we shall see how comfortable these two bed-fellows Nick and Dave really are together and for how long they can sing from the same hymn-sheet. It's all a bit Alice in Wonderland politics to me, indicative of the deep financial deficit crisis. Real Wonderland stuff! The Brits as ever pioneered the way in political satire and children's book illustrations; genres which the artist Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) (above illustration) realized are not so remote from each other.

Bluebell woods

Only a minute's walk from my door there's a chalk ridge woodland of beech and chestnut trees standing high upon the brow of the river Wensum valley. It's probably survived because it's hilly and undulating, therefore difficult to deforest and 'develop'. Better still some good conservation work has been done to it, clearing the woodland floor of brambles, allowing a large area of bluebells to colonize . A small secluded sanctuary in an increasingly volatile world.

Respiro

Last night I watched 'Respiro' (2002) by Emanuele Crialese (b.1965). Set in southern Sicily on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, Crialese's warm and moving story of a young woman, Grazia, who behaves unconventionally, to the annoyance of the tight-knitted community, is a wonderful film. Crilese states of Grazia, the central character of the film-

"We have this weird tendency as human beings to look for the black sheep...they're the ones who get the blame, but it's through their sacrifice that we understand more about ourselves."

'Respiro's main attractions are equally, the great performance of Valerio Golino as the rebellious mother, the poor but supportive fishing community, and the spectacular coast-line, all of which are beautifully photographed throughout. The film concludes wordlessly, with a highly atmospheric piece of music which accompanys a collective swim and the reconciliation of runaway mother to husband and children .

Mum

Vivienne Yvonne Poppy

Happy birthday Mum! Looking every part the British 1950's matinee idol!
You're the one from whom from the womb I've inherited dark hair and eyes, a highly-strung disposition and a love of music!

The first day of May is also the anniversary of Sir Thomas Browne's 1658 Discourses. Its date is noted at the end of the dedicatory epistle to both 'Urn-Burial' and 'The Garden of Cyrus'.