images and words: 6/1/09

Ancient image of Saint Paul discovered

>> – history, painting

Vatican archaeologists using laser technology have discovered what they believe is the oldest image in existence of St Paul the Apostle, dating from the late 4th century, on the walls of catacomb beneath Rome.

Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, revealing the find on Sunday, published a picture of a frescoed image of the face of a man with a pointed black beard on a red background, inside a bright yellow halo. The high forehead is furrowed.

Experts of the Ponitifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology made the discovery on June 19 in the Catacomb of Santa Tecla in Rome and describe it as the "oldest icon in history dedicated to the cult of the Apostle," according to the Vatican newspaper.

Robert Fisk: Prince Reza Pahlavi and Neda Agha Sultan

>> – orientalism, photojournalism, politics, world

The most nauseous photograph to come out of the Iran tragedy was not the bloodied demonstrators in Tehran, but a Reuters picture of former Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, "fighting back tears" in Washington as he declared that Neda Agha Sultan, the young woman shot dead by Ahmadinejad's thugs a week ago, "was now for ever in my pocket". I bet she is, by God! "I have added her to the list of my daughters," the son of the brutal and merciless late Shah, told the world. text here

William Blake: Paradise Lost engravings (1808)

>> – drawing, engraving, historical photos, literature, painting

William Blake and John Milton lived through two of the most tumultous periods of European history, so perhaps it is not surprising that Blake would have been drawn to illustrate Milton's great epic. Blake completed two sets of water color illustrations to Paradise Lost, the second of which, completed in 1808, is represented here. Source and images