Triumphs And Laments, By William Kentridge: An Analysis

“History is told by the victors”. Although the preceding statement holds a significant amount of truth, more complex views of history also include the voices of the marginialized. Often, these voices can come through in historical documents, as well as monuments to power. And, while history may be told by the victors, changing perspectives concerning historical periods also shape the way in which one thinks about a piece, as well as a time in history, or the actions of the people from that time period. This is perhaps best captured with the ARch of Titus, depicting the Sacking of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and in the Jewish Quarter, as well as a 2015 piece, “Triumphs and Laments”, by William Kentridge, which includes a modern-day rendition

For instance, one can view William Kentridge’s panel based on the ARch of Titus as one such example. Created in 2016, this negative grafitti artwork has several panels in a procession arc, showing different points in Rome’s history--both its victories and the more somber undercurrent that points out the regrets and laments. This is also found in the Kentridge’s portrayal of the soldiers presenting the artifacts from the Second Temple. Rather than low relief sculptures that proudly hold up several artifacts, the soldiers are hunched over, with the menorah being carried, along with several other artifacts, what the panel refers to. The figures, carved in the shadowy dirt from the walls surrounding the Tiber River, are hunched, and instead of being portrayed in a triumphal procession, seem to depicted in a way to suggest they are committing theft of cultural

Aggression also came in the forms of being forced to listen to papal sermons, and during Christian festivals, being forced to run naked in the streets. These actions were ostensibly demonstrations of power, and effectively could today be thought of as dehumanizing. While the Arch of Titus does not immediately seem to bear an obvious connection to the prejudices faced by Jewish people in the Renaissance and later time periods, the antisemitism dating back to the Roman Empire, leading to the development of the Jewish diaspora, also serves to remind onlookers that antisemtism is at least thousands of years