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by Silvio Bedoni Reviewed by Kenny Brechner It would be safe to include writing or uttering the word 'symbolizes' among the many things one would do well to beware of in life. History and Literature's way of saying abra cadabra, use of the term draws attention to the symbol while obscuring the object supposedly symbolized. This sleight of hand convinces the viewer that in grasping a simple concept he has fully grasped a much larger more complex one. Silvio Bedoni, author of the delightful and excellent The Pope's Elephant, has picked a biographical subject, Pope Leo X's pet white elephant Hanno, who is no less than a symbolic prodigy. There is almost nothing which Hanno is unable to symbolize. Among other things he is "the symbol of the Orient now so richly open to the west," as well as being "a symbol of the golden age and the century of wonder." In terms of the arts "Hanno's presence in Rome had impact equally on the arts of the period as it had on belles lettres" No subject is more fun than the Renaissance papacy. One would have thought that nothing could top the lurid excesses of Alexander IV or the martial valor of Julius II, but Leo X's amiability and appreciation for the finer things in life were well suited to help propel Renaissance culture to its apex. In terms of posterity Leo took over the papacy at a remarkably good time for establishing a cultural legacy. (And a remarkable bad time for leaving an historical one. see Martin Luther) The so called golden age of Leo's reign arose from the happy congruence of a blossoming Renaissance and a sudden expansion of western Christendom's horizons occasioned by the discovery of the Americas. Portuguese delegations to the Vatican brought many wonders with them including such legendary beasts as a Rhinoceros and an Elephant. The Rhinoceros was not a success but Hanno the Elephant was adored by Leo personally and by Rome in General. Bedoni does a superb job unearthing representations of Hanno in art and references to Hanno in literature. He even goes so far as to discover the preserved remnants of Hanno's tusks and bones. Furthermore, his historical treatment of Leo and the Portugal connection is extremely insightful. The centrality of Hanno in all this is not thoroughly convincing however. It seems to me that Bedoni has mistaken interest in Hanno for impact of Hanno. Showing that numerous prominent artists featured images of Hanno in their works does not really signify anything in particular beyond Hanno's novelty. Leo's profound affection for Hanno
effectively illustrated both his humanity as an individual and his ludicrousness
as a prelate. Bedoni has written an excellent book which deftly combines various
branches of history, biography, and art history. But as to Leo's beloved pet
elephant, Hanno doesn't need to be stretched any farther than his original
"twelve palms in height." |
