The Worlds Oldest Surviving Icons - Essay Example

            Basically, this exhibition was based on a historical theme and it aimed at the viewing of art from a particular time and geographic area. The name of the exhibition was The Icons from Sinai and Sinai is the name of a famous mount in Egypt which has the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine just adjacent to it. This monastery is termed as orthodox in the world owing to its ancient history and it is considered a treasured World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This monastery is distinguished because it is one of the oldest Christian monasteries that have existed in history. The display of various historical objects, brought from the monastery of Saint Catherine adjacent to the Mount of Sinai, in the Getty Museum geared up an exhibition that was exceptionally outclassed and domineering in its presentation. The aura that distinguished this overwhelmingly influential exhibition was profoundly mindful, richly informative, and deeply descriptive. For art lovers, who also prefer to see the element of culture prominent in the objects displayed, this exhibition was particularly satiating and rewarding. I say so because it offered art lovers an infrequent and golden opportunity to see and encourage for themselves the unparallel beauty of some of the world’s oldest icons from the Byzantine Empire, which have managed to survive till the present! It is not really like the ancient icons reflective of Byzantine culture from the Monastery of Saint Catherine have not been displayed for an exhibition earlier than the exhibition I am talking about. But, the exceptional beauty of the exhibition held at the Getty museum is that it offered any viewer, who might not even have a definite or groomed sense of appreciation for art him/herself, a clear insight into the Byzantine culture and the monastic life that was a hallmark of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine. I am not stating this fact merely for the sake of empty appreciation, but the way myriad historical objects were displayed in this exhibition took a viewer immediately into another part of the world, the part that was alive with all the vibrant colors of a rich culture about thousands of years ago. About fifty-three objects were transferred from the ancient monastery in Sinai from Egypt to Los Angeles for organizing this unparallel exhibition. Monks have resided at the foot of Mount Sinai since the third century, and since then the various rare and historically and culturally important objects there have been tried to be preserved by the generations of monks at the monastery. The veneration of icons in the monastery continued uninterrupted by the monks because this place was left safe from the wild destruction of religious objects, which was a defining feature of the Byzantine emperorship. The viewers, including myself, got to appreciate a vivid picture of the cultural history of the Monastery of Saint Catherine and Mount Sinai via many priceless objects displayed in the exhibition.

            An unprecedented look at some of the world’s oldest surviving icons that prove to be potentially capable of giving the viewers an insight into the ancient Egyptian culture was the ultimate goal of the exhibition held at the Getty Museum named Icons From Sinai. Another important goal of this exhibition was to bare the astoundingly marvelous aura of these ancient remnants for the eyes of the general public. According to Collins (cited in Finkel), who was in charge of organizing the exhibition, the whole arrangement was an effort to evoke the experience of being in that ancient area and appreciate its bright and rich culture. It was basically arranged to evoke a sensory experience and be enveloped and awed by the beautiful ancient relics. I think that the exhibition proved to be successful in matching the desired level of efficacy because it let the people have a clear view of ancient times through the rich objects and appreciate their beauty. It was definitely not a regular or ordinary world art experience for any person.