Classical Wisdom Litterae - November 2020

IV Ever seen this picture on the left? Titled The Calumny of Apelles , it’s in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Take a look, and use the labels I’ve added to figure out what’s going on. Painted by Sandro Botticelli in 1495, there’s a little- known essay about it that is one of the wisest pieces of writing the ancient world has left us. Nobody reads that essay today, but 500 years ago everyone did, so much so that the greatest talents of the Renaissance competed to illustrate it. Even better, I’ll show you here how one Renaissance master of the Classics used that essay, titled De Arte Bibendi , or The Art of Drinking , to create a literary masterpiece and troll his enemies for all time. It’s impressive. It’s also a chance to meet some lesser-known but hugely important figures in the history of art and classical wisdom. Let’s start with a quiz! How many of these guys can you name? BY M I C H A E L F ON TA I N E F SLANDER roll Your Enemies, and Win Bigly