but the Met has discovered the orginal ‘dickhead’. As I said, excuse the language. But it’s not my language, it’s on this plate. Look closely at the head.
This Renaissance Italian plate from 1536 is inscribed:
OGNI HOMO ME GUARDA COME FOSSE UNA TESTA DE CAZI
(Every man looks at me as if I were a dickhead).
Part of the exhibition Art and Love in Renaissance Italy, this example makes me wonder what exactly the curators are trying to communicate about love. The rest of the exhibition is safer, with some more stereotypical Venus and Cupid paintings and less phallic ceramics.
I would speculate that there are some angry females on the staff at the Met, except really, when else could you slip such an amusing piece into a show? Unless they devoted a show to phallic art, and goodness knows with all those Greek vases there is more than enough material. It makes me wonder what else the Met have stored in dusty corners of their warehouses.
WOW!
I can’t even find further words to describe my reaction to that piece. I mean…just…WOW.
It’s unique. Another friend suggested it was celebratory, but I don’t think the inscription bears that out. That is, ‘dickhead’ has little positive connotations.