Hockney was in his early twenties when he made a series of paintings and etchings inspired by CP Cavafy’s poetry.
He came across Cavafy in the library at Bradford in the 1950s demonstrating his enthusiasm by stealing a copy of his poems. Cavafy has attracted a cohort of admirers almost all of whom have read his work in translation; EM Forster, honourable exception. EMF introduced Cavafy to the English speaking world in Pharos and Pharillon, published by Leonard Woolf in 1923.
A Great Procession of Priests and Laymen
A procession of priests and laymen—
each walk of life represented—
moves through streets, squares, and gates
of the famous city, Antioch.
At the head of this imposing procession
a handsome white-clad boy
carries the Cross, his arms raised—
our strength and hope, the holy Cross.
The pagans, lately so full of arrogance,
now reticent and cowardly,
quickly slink away from the procession.
Let them keep their distance, always keep their distance from us
(as long as they do not renounce their errors).
The holy Cross goes forward; it brings joy and consolation
to every quarter where Christians live;
and these God-fearing people, elated,
stand in their doorways and greet it reverently,
the strength, the salvation of the universe, the Cross.
This is an annual Christian festival.
But today, you see, it is more conspicuous.
The empire is delivered at last.
The vile, the appalling Julian
reigns no longer.
For most pious Jovian let us give our prayers.
(Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, who hold the copyright to their translation.)
This reminds me of processions in Spain, especially on visits to Frigiliana in Andalusia, but I did not understand the last two paragraphs. The Emperor Julian died in 362 AD, succeeded by Jovian, tolerant of Christianity. Who better to explain the importance of this than Edward Gibbon in The Decline and Fall Of The Roman Empire, published in the late 18th century.
“Under his reign Christianity obtained an easy and lasting victory; and as soon as the smile of royal patronage was withdrawn, the genius of Paganism, which had been fondly raised and cherished by the arts of Julian, sunk irrecoverably in the dust. In many cities the temples were shut or deserted; the philosophers, who had abused their transient favour, thought it prudent to shave their beards and disguise their profession; and the Christians rejoiced that they were now in a condition to forgive or to revenge the injuries which they had suffered under the preceding reign. The consternation of the Pagan world was dispelled by a wise and gracious edict of toleration, in which Jovian explicitly declared that, although he should severely punish the sacrilegious rites of magic, his subjects might exercise, with freedom and safety, the ceremonies of the ancient worship.”
This etching by David Hockney was inspired by another of Cavafy’s poems, In the Dreary Village. It was chosen by Neil MacGregor as number ninety-seven in his A History of The World in 100 Objects.
In the dreary village where he works—
an assistant in one of the commercial establishments,
and quite young – he waits
for two or three months to pass,
for two or three months when business might slow
and he could leave for the city, to plunge straight
into the hurly-burly and amusement there;
in the dreary village where he waits –
he fell into bed tonight in a fit of passion,
all of his youth burning with carnal desire,
all of his beautiful youth in its beautiful intensity.
And in his sleep, pleasure came upon him; in his sleep
he sees and holds those limbs, the flesh he desired . . .
(Translated by Avi Sharon)