She hangs on the western wall...

[thomas vieth]

You foax will NOT be surprised that she still hangs on the western wall.
Check any (good) tourist guide to Firenze!

On Thu, 24 Apr 1997 doktor at primenet.com wrote:

> Daniel Torop <daniel.torop at yale.edu> writes, inter alia:
>
> >P.S.  Re-reading the subject of this thread I realize I have no idea why
> >the "She hangs on the western wall" chapter is entitled that.
>
> The literal answer (p. 148, Bantam) refers to where the Birth of Venus is
> hung at the Uffizi:
>
>         "Signor Mantissa pointed to the lower left-hand corner.  'The Sala
> di Lorenzo Monaco,' he said.  'Here, you see.  I have already had a key
> made for the main entrance.  Three main corridors: east, west, and a short
> one on the south connecting them.  From the west corridor, number three, we
> enter a smaller one here, marked 'Ritratti diversi.'  At the end, on the
> right, is a single entrance to the gallery.  She hangs on the western
> wall.'"
>
> Does anyone know if this really is/was where the painting was displayed?
> Beyond that, Pynchon may be playing with the idea of The Birth of Venus is
> more than just a painting, it's an icon of "western" culture.  And
> Mantissa, representative of the old world run to decadence and bathos, and
> The Gaucho, representative of New World wildness and exotica, are planning
> to steal it ....
>
> Probably some theological implications here too that I'm not smart enough
> to see.  Anyone?
>
> --Jimmy
>   http://www.angelfire.com/oh/Insouciance/index.html
>
>
>