MMXIV
2014
MMXIV is a calendar based on the etymology of the months and on the ancient Romans' traditions and festivities.
For every month I created an illustration inspired by these themes; at the same time, each leaf is half white and half black, and the line that divides the white side from the black one turns clockwise, to symbolize the flow of time and the passing of a year.
2014
MMXIV is a calendar based on the etymology of the months and on the ancient Romans' traditions and festivities.
For every month I created an illustration inspired by these themes; at the same time, each leaf is half white and half black, and the line that divides the white side from the black one turns clockwise, to symbolize the flow of time and the passing of a year.
GENNAIO - January: the name derives from the Roman god Ianus, the deity of beginnings and all forms of transition and change. For this reason it is usually depicted with two faces, because it looks both at the past and at the future.
FEBBRAIO - February: the name of the month derives from the Latin februare, which means "to purify", as in the Roman calendar February was the time of the rituals of purification, held in honor of the Etruscan god Februus and the Roman goddess Febris. I thought about water as a purifying element.
MARZO - March: the name comes from the Roman god Mars, god of war, as in the month of March typically started wars. I represented this theme with some spears, advancing like war.
APRILE - April: it was the month dedicated to the goddess Venus. On the first of April were celebrated the Veneralia, a Roman festivity dedicated to this goddess. Women went to the temple of Venus and, after cleaning the statue, decorated it with rose flowers.
MAGGIO - May: the name probably comes from the Roman goddess Maia. According to the legend, every first of May the Roman god Vulcanus offered in sacrifice to her a pregnant sow, as a good omen, so that the earth was laden with fruits. In the illustration, the white line with the red point is Vulcanus' arm, offering to Maia (the black one) the sow; below this is a circle full of red points, which represents the earth full of fruits.
GIUGNO - June: the name derives from the Roman goddess Iuno, deity of marriage and birth. I represented this theme with a rising sun.
LUGLIO - July: this month was named in honour of Julius Caesar, who was born on the 13th of this month.
AGOSTO - August: in honor of the emperor Augustus. The Age of Augustus represented a turning point in the history of Rome and the final transition from the Republican period to the empire. In the illustration I represented this transition, from the R of "Repubblica" (republic) to the I of "Impero" (empire).
SETTEMBRE- September: the name comes from the Latin septem, "seven", because it was the seventh month of the Roman calendar, which -before Numa Pompilius- lasted ten months and started with March. In this month were celebrated the Ludi Romani, which I represented with four horses.
OTTOBRE - October: the name comes from the Latin octo, "eight", because it was the eighth month of the Roman calendar. In this month were celebrated the Meditrinalia, the wine festivity. For these reasons I represented a bunch of grapes, with ten grapes like the ten months of the Roman calendar; the eighth, October, is white.
NOVEMBRE - November: the name comes from the Latin novem, "nine", because it was the ninth month of the Roman calendar. Here I created an abstract composition with the graphic sign "IX".
DICEMBRE - December: the name derives from the Latin decem, "ten", because it was the tenth month of the Roman calendar. In December took place the Saturnalia, a cycle of festivities were Romans used to exchange gifts, called "strenne" in Italian, from the Latin strenae. This use was adopted since Titus Tatius first caught, as a good omen for the new year, a twig in the sacred wood of the Roman goddess Strenia, the deity symbol of the new year, prosperity and good fortune.
And then everything starts again.
