*cue after-school special music*
“If you don’t talk to your kids about pot, who will?”
So it wasn’t just me then, I took one look at that and (not ever having touched the stuff) thought “That’s a joint in his hand!!”
I might not have noticed it without the capshun, but I can’t imagine it being anything else.
That looks like a pack of Winstons he’s partially covering up with his left hand. He must stash his “special cigarettes” in there. tsk tsk. Worst stash dplace EVAR!
I had a book with that painting in it and he’s writing (that’s a stylus — a pen made from wood, a reed, or a brass tube with a tin nib — in his right hand) on a codex (a hand-bound book, usually with parchment pages) on his knee. (That kid in the background is holding a bowl of ink.)
(My, those Biblical History books sure come in handy!)
Thanks Rey! It’s interesting to find out what some of the things in these paintings are really supposed to represent. Do your history books include translations of some of the symbolism in any of the paintings? Some are obvious – crucifixion of Jesus, birth of the Magi, etc – but there are some that just completely baffle me.
A good place to start is this book. (And don’t forget to check out the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought…” section.) You might also browse through various Art History books (especially those emphasizing the late Medieval and Renaissance periods) and Biblical History/Christian History books. (especially books on the Catholic Church — they were *really* big into visual symbolism and allegory.)
LOLTheist: Blasphemy is Teh Funneh 
*cue after-school special music*
“If you don’t talk to your kids about pot, who will?”
So it wasn’t just me then, I took one look at that and (not ever having touched the stuff) thought “That’s a joint in his hand!!”
I might not have noticed it without the capshun, but I can’t imagine it being anything else.
That looks like a pack of Winstons he’s partially covering up with his left hand. He must stash his “special cigarettes” in there. tsk tsk. Worst stash dplace EVAR!
I had a book with that painting in it and he’s writing (that’s a stylus — a pen made from wood, a reed, or a brass tube with a tin nib — in his right hand) on a codex (a hand-bound book, usually with parchment pages) on his knee. (That kid in the background is holding a bowl of ink.)
(My, those Biblical History books sure come in handy!)
Thanks Rey! It’s interesting to find out what some of the things in these paintings are really supposed to represent. Do your history books include translations of some of the symbolism in any of the paintings? Some are obvious – crucifixion of Jesus, birth of the Magi, etc – but there are some that just completely baffle me.
A good place to start is this book. (And don’t forget to check out the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought…” section.) You might also browse through various Art History books (especially those emphasizing the late Medieval and Renaissance periods) and Biblical History/Christian History books. (especially books on the Catholic Church — they were *really* big into visual symbolism and allegory.)