On the campus of Bellarmine University, Louisville, Ky, stands a 13 foot tall, three and one half ton sculpture of their mascot. From a distance, this is one cool knight. But, upon closer examination, you'll see the real genius of the piece.Artist Bob Lockhart must have one Knight-like sense of history and humor. When you examine the sculpture more closely, you'll see a myriad of tiny details. To name a few:
* The noble steed is named Veritas, Latin for Truth. The Bellarmine motto is "In the Love of Truth."
* The doves on the helmet hold an olive branch and are higher than the sword, affirming the primacy of peace over violence.
* The horse bridle and the helmet rim are shark jaws.
* The topknot of the mane is shaped as a pineapple, the symbol of hospitality.
* There are ten lizards on the sculpture, representing the little things in life that irritate us.
* The rooster and chickens on each side of the saddle symbolize Yin and Yang, seeming opposites in the "hidden wholeness" of life.
* There are many turtles, snakes, frogs, and a gargoyle.
And one of my favorite
* The ring of bells on a leg of Veritas represents the sounds of music and the rhythm and dance of life. If you look closely at it, you'll see that one of the bells is actually a fortune cookie. That suggests that the sculpture cost a fortune!
Wouldn't you just love to see the artist's sketchbook on this one!
As we ride though history, may we, like this Knight, do it with faith and love. May we live the virtues of dignity, strength, imagination, confidence, courage, knowledge, passion, compassion, and a transcendent sense of humor.
Sir Bowie of Greenbriar
Good Blog.
ReplyDeletePre Modern Art and sculpture, right back to early times was chock full of Symbolism, and this was sometimes its primary purpose above the actual image. I love it when any artist builds in codes and symbols into their work.
Sir Dayvd
Here, here!!! Well done, well said. Thanks for the details that I'm sure so many people don't even notice.
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