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Etruscan places - Judy |
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written
by jwang3 / 10.24.2005 |
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Part 1: |
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For the Etruscan people of Tarquinia, life on earth had been so wonderful that it seemed impossible it would not continue into the afterlife. In their hands, the carved figures on the sarcophagi of the Etruscan tombs hold the patera, symbolizing their belief in immortality; though one part of their life ends, its continuation lies in their very hands. What they bring to their afterlife is what D.H. Lawrence calls the “God of the beginning, [which] remains alive and unbroken to the end” (30). Their earthly death is but a passageway into the next part of their lives, for what they have within them is the same, both in this life and in the next.
In his narrative of the Tomb of the Feast, he uses action words of the present tense to portray the characters on the walls, denoting the sense of life and movement within the drawings. The dancers “dance on,” while the rabbit “crouches” (42). Although these images are mere representations within a two-dimensional drawing, they live and move, within the drawings. Instead of being inanimate relics of the past, they are brought to life by his descriptions, living and moving even within himself and ultimately, into his readers.
In his description of the Tomb of the Leopards, he reveals the effect that the Etruscan philosophies of life have on him by shifting from a purely artistic illustration of the tomb paintings to a social commentary regarding the Etruscan people. He first describes the common scene of the death-banquet images of feasting, slaves, and women, narrating concerning the actions and movements of each character within the painting. Before the end of the paragraph, however, he has incorporated the belief of the continuity between life and death, stating that for the Etruscans, life after death “could but be a continuance” (36) of life on earth. The vitality in the drawings is so strong that he cannot but help to be drawn towards it. He senses more life behind the fragments of legs on the ancient walls than he sees on the entire bodies of men in his time. This vivid flow of life emanating from the limbs of the dancers on the walls is unique to the Etruscan people, unquenched by death and by time, for although the drawings have faded, Lawrence senses that the Etruscans are “still there, upon the wall” (44).
Near his death, Lawrence’s reaction to the sense of life within these ancient and dulled paintings reveals his esteem for the Etruscan continuity between death and life. Their “acceptance of life” (36), both of this world and of the next, becomes a source of reassurance for him as he senses his life on earth coming to an end. By describing the tombs beyond their artistic value and delving into the fundamental thought behind each image in the Etruscan culture, he relieves his own fears of death. The Etruscans, still able to convey their sense of vitality after having been dead for over two thousand years, live on in their drawings; Lawrence, similarly, will live on in his descriptions of the painted tombs. He realizes that his life will not end merely whenever his sickness overcomes him; rather, his life is to be immortalized by the writings he leaves behind. Like the Etruscans, his sense of vitality consequently flows out from his works into his readers.
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Part 2: |
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In his narration of traveling among tombs, Lawrence refers to B. and himself as “rabbits in a warren” (40). They move between each tomb, popping in and out of the ground, up and down the stairs, left and right across the field. This was how I felt during my visit to Tarquinia. It was strange to enter back into the real world each time after being in the Etruscan underworld. Emerging out of the ground every so often was somewhat surreal, as, like Lawrence, I felt that I was passing between two worlds.
The predominant image that I have from Tarquinia is my first encounter in the tombs. I walked into one tomb, not quite knowing what to expect. After reading Lawrence, I had the knowledge of the tombs – the descriptions, the colors, the characters, imagery, and symbols. I did not, however, know what to expect in a realistic way. I had not anticipated the feeling of descending a dark staircase for the first time, unsure of what lay at the bottom of the stairs, then flicking the light and peering into a two thousand year old tomb. This memory of my first descent will remain with me. Despite having had the images explained to me, the actual experience of entering the tombs was a completely fresh experience. I have been in Rome for a week now – yet seeing something created two thousand years ago but discovered merely 50-100 years ago is something special. Being able to see these tombs, so well-preserved and yet such a mystery, for the first time is something I will never be able to experience again. There was the element of mystery, anticipation, and a tinge of fright at seeing something so old.
Although I thoroughly appreciated seeing the tombs and going through the museum, I chose this as my one image because I believe that as beautiful as artwork and history is, nothing can match experience. I can go back and look at pictures and go back to the museum (someday) or go over the history behind the tombs, but I can never have my first descent into the painted tombs of Tarquinia again.
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