Restraint accompanies sex, beauty and grace

Today Thomas Moore posts "Dallas and the Soul" on his blog. This piece celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Dallas Insitute of Humanities and Culture, as a precursor to Moore’s appearance on 10 November 2011 to talk about his work and the theme of beauty. He shares:

"In Dallas I also hope to talk once again about Botticelli’s allegorical and beautiful painting la Primavera. I want to focus on the role of one of the Graces, Castitas, chastity, known by the Greeks as Aidos, Restraint. We don’t often think of restraint as part of the world of sex, beauty, sensuality and grace, but this painting makes it the turning-point in Venus’s universe. In the painting Restraint allows an opening to Hermes, the imagination of the world and insight into life. He points to clouds with his traditional magic wand, suggesting that we see images in an otherwise only practical and literal world. We need to pause and appreciate the beauty and significance of all that we behold with our senses."