…if music be the food of love, play on…
Wednesday, February 8th, 2006There’s this tremendously theatrical 19th century painting called Pollice Verso (which means Thumbs Down), painted by Jean-Louis Gérôme in 1872: The painting depicts a view seen from the arena floor, where a triumphant gladiator, standing astride his fallen victim, looks up into the crowd to receive the message that will decide the stricken man’s fate. […]