Pliny the Elder
My Dad’s limerick book opens with a quotation from the classical scholar PLINY THE ELDER, who was the first natural historian, being the author of the Naturalis Historia. He had nothing but good things to say about elephants, hence the quote. I looked for visual reference on Pliny, but no contemporary portraits of him survive; those that we have were done years after his death, and they range from depicting a heroic, burly Charlton Heston-ish dude to a wizened old Merlin type, as obviously, nobody really knows what he looked like.
So all I knew for sure was that Pliny was a bearded classical scholar who liked elephants. And I thought “HANG ON! I know where to find a perfect model!” So I based my depiction of Pliny on a certain classicist that I know…
8 Comments so far
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WOW, Jamie! I can’t wait for this book to come out, GREAT image! When do you expect it?
sam
By sam on 04.02.06 9:37 am
Lovely elephant. Looks a bit Jungle Book to me. Maybe it’s the slightly snooty expression.
By Ant on 04.02.06 1:33 pm
Sam- the book is due out April of next year… or there abouts.
Ant- yes, I hear you; try as I might to avoid it the MILT KAHL influence, it is there… Just try to draw a tiger or an elephant without using design motifs that he did first… it is possible mind you (Nicolas Marlet can do it for example) but it is hard…
By Jamie Baker on 04.02.06 1:40 pm
Jamie- this stuff is fanastic. Really.
I’ve always loved elephants as well. Used to collect ‘em as a kid.
I can’t wait for this goodness to be colored and slapped together.
By blecha on 04.03.06 8:36 am
Yet another awesome drawing. Keep ‘em coming!
By rhode on 04.05.06 2:31 pm
I hadn’t noticed the likeness to the elder Pliny before. It’s truly amazing
By Rob Baker Snr aka A Certain Classicist aka Dad on 10.14.06 7:39 pm
Dad>>..even though you said that Pliny wouldn’t have had a beard? (he had one in most of the pictures I could find though)
By Jamie Baker on 10.15.06 9:30 am
I have started a fan club for Pliny the Elder!! Can you sponsor us, Jamie?
By Wendy on 10.29.06 5:39 am
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