Padua Pawn, Timeless Art; meetups
A visit to Padua seeing Giotto and historic pawn broking shops. Amsterdam: old + new mix up, strong regional transport. UnConference: non-mainstream education. Next London Meet-up: Dec 7th.
Welcome new readers. A short note on what to expect. I don’t write much about “the current thing” but my interests span economics, art, sustainability, theatre. I have both a science mind and humanities mind. My podcast might give you a sense of this. I’m also organising an “UnConference” on non-mainstream education eg home ed in 2024. Contact me/reply for more on the UnConference.
I pass on observations on what crosses my mind while out in the world and across investing and the arts. This week:
A visit to Padua seeing Giotto and historic pawn broking shops
Amsterdam: old + new mix up, strong regional transport
Podcast: Aella, escorting, rationalism redux
UnConference: non-mainstream education
Links (end) : AI safety, aphantasia, climate.
I traveled to Padua for work. I had a spare 2 hours which was a blessing. I visited Giotto’s Scrovegni chapel which is one of the most major pieces of western art in the last 1000, arguably 2000, years. Recommended.
Quirky reflections. Scrovegni was one of the richest people in the world. This commission ensured his immortality of sorts. What’s the modern equivalent? The Billionaire space race ?
Larry Gagosian (billionaire art dealer) suggests art has always been about money on walls. And there is a lot of it still but is there anything like Scrovengi being commissioned now ?
Scrovengi was paying for political power (though he ultimately fell short). This is true today. Cf the Sacklers. The Sacklers also fell short, I suppose.
This is a partial GPT summary on the importance of Giotto’s work.
1. Introduction of Realism:
• Giotto was among the first to introduce a form of realism into art, moving away from the stylized Byzantine tradition prevalent during his time.
2. Human Emotion:
• His paintings captured human emotion in a way that hadn’t been seen before, paving the way for subsequent artists to explore expressive realism.
3. Spatial Depth:
• Giotto played with the concept of spatial depth in his paintings, which became a fundamental aspect of Renaissance and later modern art.
4. Use of Chiaroscuro:
• He employed chiaroscuro (light and shadow) to give his figures a three-dimensional form, an approach later adopted extensively in Renaissance and modern art.
5. Naturalistic Depictions:
• His naturalistic depiction of figures and scenes encouraged the trend of observing and replicating the natural world in art.
6. Narrative Techniques:
• Giotto employed advanced narrative techniques in his frescoes, enriching storytelling in art which became a staple in modern artistic expressions.
7. Perspective Drawing:
• While not fully developed, Giotto’s work hinted at the use of perspective, which was later fully realized by Renaissance artists, and is a cornerstone of modern art.
8. Anatomy Understanding:
• His better understanding of human anatomy compared to his predecessors contributed to more realistic depictions of the human form.
9. Iconographic Innovations:
• Introduced new iconographic themes and symbols, enriching the visual language available to artists.
10. Individualism:
• By giving characters in his paintings distinct personalities, Giotto nudged art towards the modern era of individualism and personal expression.
And,
This chapel is home to some of the most influential frescoes painted by the Italian maestro, Giotto di Bondone, more commonly known as Giotto, between 1303 and 1305. The frescoes within this chapel aren’t just a representation of religious narratives, but they also marked a pivotal shift in the realm of painting, ushering in a new epoch of artistic expression that resonated through the corridors of time.
Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel are not just paintings; they are a conversation between the divine and the mortal. His innovative approach saw a departure from the stylized forms of the Byzantine tradition, heralding a new era where art began to mirror life. The way he captured human emotion and the corporeal reality of form marked a profound departure from the prevailing artistic norms. His works introduced a fresh wave of realism that was capable of encapsulating human passions and feelings through bodily gestures and expressions .
In essence, Giotto’s artistry in the Scrovegni Chapel laid down the template for modern mural painting. His realistic portrayal of figures, combined with the emotional gravity he imparted to his characters, set a new standard, influencing fresco technique, style, and content for an entire century to follow . The legacy of his artistic dialect can be observed in the way modern art has evolved, becoming more expressive, human-centric, and real.
I also visited the site of a pawn broking shop of the 1500s. The idea of lending money against collateral assets is an important underpining of modern finance. It gave me a perspective seeing that the concept stretched to far back in time.
Banks today give you (and other institutions) cash money now but take >100% in illiquid assets (assets which are hard to sell quickly but should be worth a lot when sold) in collateral. Today those assets might be long dated bonds, commercial property, institutional equity or art, jewellery, stocks on a personal level.
The Italian system had its roots in personal belongings.
Again, in part, from GPT:
Pawn broking has a long history in Italy, dating back to the middle ages. The term Mont de Piété originated in Italy and refers to a type of charitable pawn institution.
Mont de Piété:
• The Mont de Piété was a type of charitable pawn institution that emerged in Italy. It operated under a committee or commission, following regulations that were quite standardized across different Italian cities.
• The Mont de Piété lent a portion of the value of pawned items, with higher percentages for gold, silver, and jewels, and lower percentages for other articles. The interest rates varied with the amount of the loan, but small loans had no interest charged. Loans typically had a tenure of six months but could be renewed for similar periods up to a maximum of five years. If a loan wasn’t renewed within two weeks of expiration, the pawned item would be sold, and any surplus returned to the pawner .
Pawn Broking Regulations:
• The amount to be advanced by a municipal pawnshop was fixed by an official, who would have to cover any loss should the pawned item sell for less than the loan amount. The borrower had to pay an agent’s fee, which was deducted from the loan amount. Private pawnshops also existed but were regulated by police authority and typically charged very high interest .
This ability to turn long dated or illiquid asset to fund shorter term investment or cash needs is a key ingredient for finance and hence growth today. …
Padua itself is an attractive small town. Below, is a typical snap of a small square in the old centre. Very walkable, well preserved old and a pinch of new (nothing like Amsterdam in that respect though).
Moderately lively (sustained by tourism mostly I suspect for non-locals) and also the University. The university has been around approaching 1000 years. Along with its historic trade roots, I sense the uni had been (and continues to be) important so for towns - Cambridge, Oxford, Ghent etc - I think one big sign of historic success is a thriving uni.
Hard to get taxis though (no Ubers as been banned by pressure from the local taxi cartel am told).
I took a short family holiday visit to Amsterdam (second visit in a short time). I managed to have my bag stolen at Utrecht station. One of the richest nations and the police were unsurprised. There is an element of fraud/theft that high trust places endure because the trust / shared culture / values allows other positive agreements to flourish. Still, there is a culture element to the types of crime or incidents you see in places. For instance, you hardly ever lose bags on the Japanese transport system… people always hand items in.
Regional transport is well connected in the Netherlands like in Brussels. Utrecht was easy to get to and you can tap in/out with a credit card. In places where density matters, I’m increasingly of the view good regional transport matters. Netherlands is a country of many bicycles but there were lots of cars too. Cars are nowhere close to disappearing even in a bike and public transport heaven - that means electrification really does become all important.
I saw an aphorism on Amsterdam about how well the city combines new and old. This really does seem to be true. The conversion of warehouse space into cosy food joints, the mix of industrial chic, centuries old structures and modern design all jostle mostly comfortably. We stayed north of the river and new housing in various designs were being built all around. Our Airbnb was in a small sustainability focused community. There seems to be a compromise between building for the people and building for nature although I see that in its agriculture land use, the Netherlands goes very very intense in some areas (all those greenhouse tomatoes); but goes rewilding nature in others.
Still my impression is that old and new, housing amongst the warehouses, the mix of it has a Dutch vibe that the city continues to pursue.
Perhaps this is exemplified in the A’Dam look out tower. Take a former significant office HQ (Royal Dutch Shell), stick a large roof top bar on it, make it famous for parties; put the night club in the basement (but VR arcade in the day); and a mechanical play swing on the roof which allows you for a few minutes to soar swinging above the city.
I’ve been travelling so an archive link for the podcast. And more on a couple of recent pods (food historian , Pen Vogler; and me and Delia Burgess, another time).
Aella. On rare days, you have conversations you’d never imagine. This is one with Aella.
One reason to do a podcast is to speak with people you’d never meet, doing things you have no idea about.
I learnt about escort work, losing faith, circling, working in a factory and why she is so keen on homeschooling. I was taken to thoughts and places I wouldn't normally go and I came away kinda enlightened.
Aella is perhaps most famous on X/Twitter for shining a light on the life and economics of Camgirls and escorts; and asking challenging questions. But her independent research is larger than that and has encompassed reporting on LSD and psychedelics use, circling, the nature of faith, and enlightenment. She grew up homeschooled in a fundamental Christian household before leaving home at 17.
UnConference (supported by Emergent Ventures).
This is the draft mini-blurb. Contact me for more, if you want to be involved or are thinking of coming.
UnConference: Educating Otherwise (title TBD)
We are hosting an UnConference* on non-mainstream education. Families, educators, curious people are welcome to attend for free. Travel grants and prizes available.
*What is and why an UnConference?
Unlike traditional conferences with pre-set agendas and passive listeners, an UnConference invites all attendees to participate actively. Everyone is encouraged to propose topics, lead discussions, and contribute to conversations in a meaningful way.
Meet-up
Next meet-up / mingle (also doubles as birthday party) is here. Dec 7th, Theater Deli.
Links:
Kanjun reflections on AI safety summit
https://x.com/kanjun/status/1720502401067811242?s=20
Long read. A profile of aphantasia where the human brain can’t seem to picture images, for instance when eyes closed - what this means for science and what it means to be human.
https://x.com/benyeohben/status/1720480732500406383?s=20
Climate models (Zeke Hausfather)
https://x.com/hausfath/status/1719388240548184255?s=20
UK graduate pay. (FT, Burn-Murdoch)
https://x.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1718244492933816529?s=20
Evergreen articles on econ, politics, tech wanted by Fitzwilliam.