The main cartoon in today's Daily Telegraph features a portrait of prime minister Theresa May carrying the legend Salvator Britannia. The basis for this joke is that questions have been raised about the attribution of the picture of Jesus known as Salvator Mundi to Leonardo da Vinci. As this picture sold for US$450 million or £342 million last year that is a fairly big question mark.
There is, however, a mistake in Blower's cartoon - Salvator Britannia means Britain the saviour. The legend should have read Salvator Britanniae, which, of course, means saviour of Britain.
Monday 18 February 2019
Friday 1 February 2019
Et In Orcadia Ego
Earlier this week the Daily Telegraph's letters page had the amusing heading 'Et in Orcadia Ego' over a letter concerning why the Orkneys were considered the happiest place to live in the UK. The phrase is, of course, a pun on 'Et in Arcadia Ego'. Perhaps the sub-editor intended to import the sense of mortality which the original phrase carried, or perhaps it was simply the opportunity to create a pun.
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