01-04-2005, 01:57 AM
Thanks for posting these nice, sharp images, Gregg! Wherever did you find them?<br>
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Again, I have to at least partially disagree with your interpretation of what's going on in the first section. It seems to me the seated magistrate is perhaps addressing both the togate official standing next to him and the soldier-- one hand may be resting on the official, but the other hand looks to me to be clearly gesturing toward the soldier. Also, the seated fellow's gaze seems to be directed at the soldier, not performing a "physical examination" of the togate figure. The soldier is definitely looking at the seated magistrate. I suppose he could be looking at the exchange between the two togate figures and scratching his forehead, as if to say, "what's going on with those two?" But I still see an exchange going on here. Also, I am still struck by how the gesture of the "saluting" figure, right hand to helmet, fingers curled, matches up with that of the corresponding figure on the Mikkalus relief.<br>
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As to shield sizes, it looks to me as if this artist, although possessing a wonderful eye for little details and human interactions, is not too concerned with the relative sizes of his subjects, or in depicting "perspective." The guy standing behind the "saluting" soldier not only has a longer shield, he's just bigger altogether, maybe 10-20% larger than the guy in front of him, a complete violation of normal perspective. The shields, apart from varying in size, all seem pretty much identical otherwise.<br>
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T. Flavius Crispus<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
Again, I have to at least partially disagree with your interpretation of what's going on in the first section. It seems to me the seated magistrate is perhaps addressing both the togate official standing next to him and the soldier-- one hand may be resting on the official, but the other hand looks to me to be clearly gesturing toward the soldier. Also, the seated fellow's gaze seems to be directed at the soldier, not performing a "physical examination" of the togate figure. The soldier is definitely looking at the seated magistrate. I suppose he could be looking at the exchange between the two togate figures and scratching his forehead, as if to say, "what's going on with those two?" But I still see an exchange going on here. Also, I am still struck by how the gesture of the "saluting" figure, right hand to helmet, fingers curled, matches up with that of the corresponding figure on the Mikkalus relief.<br>
<br>
As to shield sizes, it looks to me as if this artist, although possessing a wonderful eye for little details and human interactions, is not too concerned with the relative sizes of his subjects, or in depicting "perspective." The guy standing behind the "saluting" soldier not only has a longer shield, he's just bigger altogether, maybe 10-20% larger than the guy in front of him, a complete violation of normal perspective. The shields, apart from varying in size, all seem pretty much identical otherwise.<br>
<br>
T. Flavius Crispus<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
T. Flavius Crispus / David S. Michaels
Centurio Pilus Prior,
Legio VI VPF
CA, USA
"Oderint dum probent."
Tiberius
Centurio Pilus Prior,
Legio VI VPF
CA, USA
"Oderint dum probent."
Tiberius
