How little we see! The old adage, “Many people look but few people see is so appropriate with this old and broken Licinius. The coin had lain around my coin cleaning area for months until I noticed the coin for the first time today. I should rephrase and state that I really “saw” the coin for the first time today.
I was struck by the gentle and very feminine contraposto of the figure on the reverse. What a wonderful work of art. What a lovely piece of sculpture, rendered by an unknown artist hundreds of years ago. How easily we relate to the female figure and we immediately feel a kindred spirit with that ancient artist.
Intuitively he/she knew the drapery on her arm was repeated in the curvilinear position of her body. That was not taught then and it is not taught now. One either feels the presence of the repetition of figurative line or one does not. Art is not taught art is our Spirit and transcends the ego. We can only experience.
Many years ago nature intervened and we can only guess at why the coin is broken. It really doesn’t matter. The same curvilinear quality we see in the figure has been repeated in the broken edges of the coin and nature adds a new dimension to the rhythm of the line! All the visual the elements come together and we have a wonderful piece of sculpture and art.
In stark contrast, the obverse provides us with the rectilinear head of Licinius. Bold and not so gentle. We are aware of a strong and dominant personality. We see the countenance of a warrior. His portrait is counter to the poise of the youthful, beautiful and gentle female we see on the reverse.
I am very pleased I wiped this coin clean and I am very happy to have it in my possession. I can enjoy the aesthetic moment until I tire of the coin and then I will pass it on to someone else but only if they enjoy the “Found Quality”.. Thank you and God Bless.. Jerry..
1 comment:
One correction, Jerry. The reverse shows Jupiter, so that's a man, not feminine.
Tom
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