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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 1d

Day 7 of #classicstober and the theme is witch/sorceress. Pressed for time today so here is a 16th-century drawing showing Circe with Odysseus plus crew members transformed into pigs

@classicstober.bsky.social #classicstober25

drawing | British Museum share.google/w117nan5PeNJ...

drawing | British Museum

Ulysses and Circe; Ulysses in a boat with companions (in the form of pigs), Circe standing on the shore, offering him a vessel Pen and black ink, with red, blue, grey and brown wash, sheet cut down

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 2d

Day 6 of #classicstober and the theme is the Fates (moirai). Here's my quick rendition of the fabulous Fates from Disney's Hercules (a bit of a blend with the Graiai of day 3) #classicstober25 @classicstober.bsky.social

Pencil crayon and black fibre tip drawing of the Fates as featured in Disney film Hercules. Three caricatured old women draped in black. One sort of looks like a bird with a long beak, another sort of like a pig, maybe? The third has a long pointy chin and is holding an eyeball. They all have black eye sockets as they share that single eye. Lovely.

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 3d

column | British Museum share.google/nAYBgUONnCvU...

column | British Museum

Marble column drum from the Later Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, showing a draped woman, perhaps Alcestis or Eurydike, between a youthful draped Thanatos (Death) and Hermes Psychopompos; also shown are...

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 3d

Day 5 of #classicstober and another drawing of a British Museum object for the theme of Hermes Psychopompos: part of a column from Ephesus. Full object details below
##classicstober25 @classicstober.bsky.social

Pencil drawing of relief carving of Hermes, nude except for a cloak draped around his left arm, staff held in his right hand. Proportions are a bit off in the drawing, and best not to look too closely at the feet or hand

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 3d

Another Sunday walk in the Kent countryside today. This week I persuaded my daughter to join me, by bribing her with a tea shop visit at the end

View across a grassy field, line of autumnal trees at the end, low hill beyond. A path at far right.

Photo of table with teapot and mismatching vintage teacups, plate with a slice of Victoria sponge and two forks. One of the forks is held by my daughter, mostly out of shot

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 4d

bead; shroud (?) | British Museum share.google/hB25LsfB129b...

bead; shroud (?) | British Museum

Faience beads coloured green, blue, pink, white and black, perhaps forming the decorative beadwork on a shroud or garment. At least 32,000 beads are under this registration number.

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 4d

Day 4 of #classicstober and no chance to make art today so just sharing an object, or rather a lot of tiny objects! Beads found in a tomb in Vulci, which may have decorated a shroud (today's theme) #classicstober25 @classicstober.bsky.social

Circular tray divided into four, each section containing many tiny beads shaped like rings, sorted by colour: muted yellow, blue, red and green

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Reposted by Dr Vicky Donnellan

The Hellenic Society @hellenicsociety.bsky.social · 5d

Reminder: Regional Conference Grants - next deadline for applications is 1 November 2025
The Hellenic Society Council considers applications from Universities for a grant to assist an academic event in the field of Hellenic Studies.

www.hellenicsociety.org.uk/grants

#ClassicsBluesky 🏺

Grants | The Hellenic Journal | Study of Greek language | Hellenic Society

The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, generally known as the Hellenic Society, was founded in 1879 to advance the study of Greek language, literature, history, art and archaeology in the…

www.hellenicsociety.org.uk

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 5d

Day 3 of #classicstober and I have branched out into photo art. Inspired by the Graiai in Clash of the Titans, recreated using my face and an old paperweight of my husband's. Photo taken by my bewildered 11 year old son @classicstober.bsky.social #classicstober25

Close up photo of middle-aged woman's face (me). Left eye closed, large spherical glass paperweight held up in front of right eye, vaguely looking like an enlarged eyeball.

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 6d

lekythos | British Museum share.google/PcFf8Z5EKfdZ...

lekythos | British Museum

Pottery: White-ground lekythos (oil or perfume flask). Hypnos and Thanatos, personifications of Sleep and Death, carrying the body of a warrior (perhaps Sarpedon?). The tomb is indicated by a plain st...

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 6d

Day 2 of #classicstober #classicstober25 and the theme is Thanatos: death. Here he is on a lekythos, gently carrying a warrior from the battlefield. Object link in the reply.
@classicstober.bsky.social

Pencil and coloured pencil drawing of figure of Thanatos from a white-ground lekythos. He has rather lovely swan-like wings, and great shaggy hair and beard

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 6d

This is coming up soon! Free lecture and reception, on Friday 10th October. There are still places left - please come along and/or pass onto your networks

Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · Sep 5

Free lecture by Prof Jaś Elsner at Senate House on 10th October. Book on the link below.

The 28th Denys Haynes Memorial Lecture

Monument, movement and the ritual body: ancient Indian, Roman and Greek art | British Museum share.google/glf556KROUQV...

Monument, movement and the ritual body: ancient Indian, Roman and Greek art

Join one of Britain's leading art historians, Jaś Elsner, for a look at the religious context of some of the great monuments of antiquity.

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Reposted by Dr Vicky Donnellan

Anna Willi @annabwilli.bsky.social · 7d

Come work with us!🏺
Together with my brilliant colleague Georgia Barker we are looking for a project curator to research how childhood is represented in the collections of our two departments at the British Museum, Egypt & Sudan and Greece & Rome. 👇👇👇

bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com//templates/C...

Project Curator: Hidden Stories of Childhood Greece and Rome; Egypt and Sudan Full-time: 41 hours per week (including one hour paid lunch break) Fixed term for 12 months £36,396 per annum Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 17 October 2025

bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 7d

Here's the object

statue | British Museum share.google/BecDtoW6ueEi...

statue | British Museum

Bronze head from a statue of Hypnos. Wings are shown sprouting from his temples, and his hair is arranged into a series of locks, some falling freely, others tied in a knot at the back of the head.

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 7d

Day 1 #classicstober #classicstober25 Hypnos. Very quick sketch before bed. Proportions all wrong but am resolved to post whatever I manage to achieve each day. Some days that will be nothing! @classicstober.bsky.social

Terrible photo in bad light of sketchbook with scrappy pencil sketch of bronze head of Hypnos with wing sprouting to left side

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 7d

Very many congratulations Gabe. Tim would have been so pleased

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 10d

Lovely sunny afternoon yesterday for a walk across the big field. It's been a while since I did this walk. Trying to get back into routine of a countryside walk every weekend as it does me a lot of good

View of field in sunshine. Path shaded by hedgerow along left side.

Branch of old man's beard hanging in focus in foreground. Trees out of focus in background

Spiky green horse-chestnut (I think? I am no great plant specialist) in close up.

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Reposted by Dr Vicky Donnellan

Australasian Classical Reception Studies Network (ACRSN) @acrsn.bsky.social · 10d

#PhD fellowship within the DECADOCS network: ‘Decadent Travellers and the Reception of Classical Antiquity in the Nineteenth Century’ decadocs.blog/research-pro...

Research Project 6

This project, Decadent Travellers and the Reception of Classical Antiquity, will investigate the development of a decadent version of the Grand Tour in the late-nineteenth century, informed by the …

decadocs.blog

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Reposted by Dr Vicky Donnellan

classicstober.bsky.social @classicstober.bsky.social · 17d

#ClassicsTober prompts for October ‘25
#ClassicsTober25

ClassicsTober25: Katabasis

1. Hypnos
2. Thanatos
3. Graeae
4. Shroud
5. Hermes Psychopompos
6. Moirai
7. φαρμακίς (pharmakis) - witch, sorceress
8. Erebos
9. Lampades
10. Hekate
11. Torch
12. Styx
13. Empousa
14. Cocytus
15. Τέρατα (Térata) - monsters
16. Typhon
17. Echidna
18. Kharon
19. Shade
20. Acheron
21. Kerberos
22. Judge
23. Lamia
24. Phlegethon
25. Tartarus
26. Punishment
27. Erinyes
28. Phobos & Deimos
29. Mysteries
30. Lethe
31. Elysian Fields

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Reposted by Dr Vicky Donnellan

Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · Sep 5

Free lecture by Prof Jaś Elsner at Senate House on 10th October. Book on the link below.

The 28th Denys Haynes Memorial Lecture

Monument, movement and the ritual body: ancient Indian, Roman and Greek art | British Museum share.google/glf556KROUQV...

Monument, movement and the ritual body: ancient Indian, Roman and Greek art

Join one of Britain's leading art historians, Jaś Elsner, for a look at the religious context of some of the great monuments of antiquity.

share.google

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 18d

I miss you too! Let's make a plan xxx

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 18d

Happy birthday Jo! Looks gorgeous 🥂

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 18d

If you'd like to find out about the Classical Collections Network here is our website. It's free to join and open to anyone who cares for/about classical collections in UK museums

classicalcollectionsnetwork.co.uk

Classical Collections Network

A Subject Specialist Network

classicalcollectionsnetwork.co.uk

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 18d

A few photos from damp Newcastle this morning as I head home after a great
Classical Collections Network event yesterday. There will be a write up coming soon on our website for those who couldn't make it

View up river Tyne on a grey rainy morning. A number of bridges cross the river but the railway bridge is most prominent

Looking up under the Tyne Bridge from the riverbank

View of Sage Gateshead building, weird shiny armadillo structure, from across the river, Tyne Bridge cuts across overhead

Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society building, grey stone, with a banner over door marking 200 year anniversary

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Dr Vicky Donnellan @vickydonnellan.bsky.social · 19d

I am also heading northwards to enjoy this event which will be kicking off right about now. Can't wait to join you all and sorry to be missing the start!

Dr Anna Reeve @cypriotartleeds.bsky.social · 19d

Very excited to be heading to Newcastle for the Classical Collections Network conference ‘Colour, Texture and Sound: Experiencing the Ancient World’. Looking forward to a great day!https://classicalcollectionsnetwork.co.uk/upcoming-events/

Upcoming Events

Colour, Texture and Sound: Experiencing the Ancient World The Classical Collections Network, in partnership with the Hellenic Society and the Great North Museum: Hancock, is delighted to announce t…

classicalcollectionsnetwork.co.uk

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