Five hundred thousand years old
By applying two dating methods, researchers at the VU University Amsterdam and Wageningen University have determined that the shell with the engraving is minimally 430,000 and maximally 540,000 years old.This means that the engraving is at least four times older than the previously oldest known engravings, found in Africa.
from http://www.sciencedaily.com
this engraving was made on a fresh water mussel by a member of the homo erectus species. the urge to make meaningful, playful marks on is part of our dna.
today i dealt with overdue logistics and didn't paint. one of the things i'm handling is the sale of the final version of the painting you see here, which was done in 2007 from photos i took at pithara on the island of andros, greece. the client is in athens, and i'm authenticating the painting, a large oil. this is the study, 23.25x7.25", in gouache on paper, which i found while handling these logistics.
i'm also dealing with an auction house in athens which will be putting up for auction the painting you see below, painted in 1978 in my studio in paiania, near athens. they requested information on the piece, which i sent this morning. more tomorrow....
