by Felicity BrunswickUnlike most galleries, Christ Church Picture Gallery does not present any grand classicised façade but is simply accessed through a modest and inconspicuously labelled door. When bookshelves displaced the bays in which many of Christ Church’s paintings were previously hung, the decision was made to build a gallery in which to house the college’s extensive collection of art. On the completion of this new Picture Gallery in May 1968, the building was praised by critics for its “unobtrusive” nature; such that “even the most conservative of dons could hardly complain that it clashed with the gems of architecture surrounding it”. Yet, with this indeed being the case, it is hardly surprising how many people fail to notice it is even there and so sadly pass by the treasures inside.

The majority of the paintings are displayed in two main rooms and are predominantly Italian. The first contains pieces from the 14th to early 16th century, including works by such esteemed masters as Sandro Botticelli and Fillippo Lippi. This room leads on to a second, larger room that is mainly composed of paintings from the Baroque period, and it is in this room that some of the better-known pieces are located such as  The Butcher’s Shop, by Annibale Carracci (1560-1609). With its grand scale, gruesome subject matter, and various possibilities for interpretation (as a ground-breaking still life, a personal piece with biographical reference or perhaps as an allegorical depiction of biblical significance) it has attracted particular attention and study.

An equally impressive Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641) depicting The Continence of Scipio holds the central point of focus as one enters the room from the corridor and vividly coveys the bold theatricality of this artistically exuberant period. Next to this frame, however, hangs another of Van Dyck’s works, which would not, perhaps, be so widely recognised. Sketched in oils on canvas, the Soldier on Horseback depicts the solitary motif emerging with vigour from a vague background furnished only with a modest green-brown wash. This piece has, up until recently, been considered an ‘oil sketch’ – a preparatory sketch made to plot out forms for a larger oil painting (such as Mars Going to War, displayed in a viewing cabinet in the same room). However, this particular sketch does not seem to fit the typical criteria of an oil sketch, being both too large and displaying only a fragment of a greater composition. Therefore, it seems more likely that this is, in fact, an underpainting, cut from a larger work. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the Louvre’s version of The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian is the original canvas from which the Christ Church section was removed. Recognised for its worth as an independent piece of work, the Soldier on Horseback was retained, collected and today, displayed as a glorious success of the artist’s dexterity, as exciting and captivating as the resultant painting from which it was sacrificed to profit.

This gallery holds a vast hoard of such fascinating artefacts. Extending back, the corridor, lined with still more paintings, leads to a small room displaying different selections of some of the many drawing kept in storage throughout the year (16th and 17th century drawings from Bologna are showing at present). Christ Church Picture Gallery is positively brimming with art, and so, though it is small, it never stagnates, stationed next to the college library as a continual source of interest and discovery.

by Jeremy CliffeAt the back of the dinosaur-filled skeletal structure of the Natural History Museum on South Parks Road, a short flight of stairs leads down into one of Oxford’s hidden wonders: the Pitt Rivers Museum. A huge totem pole looms over this cavernous space, which, whilst only a little larger than the Sheldonian Theatre, houses over half a million anthropological treasures. Silhouettes of the atrium’s ironwork frame lead the eye upwards to a curved roof resembling the upturned hull of a wooden galleon; with the eerie lighting this makes for a haunting atmosphere. But it is the impression of clutter (in the very best sense of the word) that strikes the visitor most – imagine an antiques market, a shaman’s store cupboard and a magpie’s nest all rolled into one.

Founded in 1884 in accordance with the will of collector extraordinaire, General Augustus Pitt Rivers, this temple to bric-a-brac is almost impossible to pin down. It describes itself as a museum of ‘Anthropology and World Archaeology’, but the collections are far broader than is suggested by such a prosaic précis. A random selection of the objects encompassed includes snuff-taking equipment, Japanese theatrical masks, surgical instruments, astrological guides, zithers, tarot cards, and ballerina dolls made out of giant flies. This definition-defying multifariousness might explain why such a wondrous Aladdin’s cave is not better known amongst Oxonians. Where there is awareness of the Pitt Rivers, it is usually in the context of the museum’s high-profile and ethically-dubious display of shrunken human heads from the Upper Amazon.

Yet once the morbid impulse to headhunt has been duly satisfied, a visit offers many unexpected joys. The densely displayed collections comprise far too many exhibits for the visitor to be thorough about his or her browsing, and the material precludes any logically ordered perusal. This leaves one free to dart between show cases according to whim. The labels are hand-written in copperplate script on yellowing paper, with archaic geographical references – Rhodesia, Ceylon, Zululand – and delightful descriptions, such as this comment on a card next to the famous ‘witch in a bottle’: ‘Obtained about 1915 from an old lady living in a village near Hove, Sussex. She remarked “and they do say there be a witch in it and if you let it out there it be a peck o’ trouble.”’

But between now and 29th June 2008, visitors are in for an additional treat in the form of the splendid ‘Studio Cameroon’ exhibition. Stretching along a short corridor to the right of the museum’s entrance, this features a selection of the portraits taken in ‘Studio Photo Jacques’. Established by Jacques Touselle in the town of Mbouda in Cameroon’s Western Highlands in 1970, the studio’s output encompasses a wide range of formats, a fact reflected in the exhibition, which includes photos for ID cards, marriage certificates, photos of friends and family groups, light-hearted portraits of individuals and of fashions. Moving from photo to photo the viewer notes the recurring backdrops and props used in the studio, a mixture of traditional and modernity, and above all a firm sense of the individuality of the subjects. Indeed, the real joy of ‘Studio Cameroon’ is found in the sense of Touselle capturing not just a person, but a ‘moment’.. Even the most composed of the photos – those taken for official documents – are full of feeling; a woman leans toward her husband, her forehead touching his, a young man stares confrontationally at the camera while in the next photo along a woman in the same universal passport photo pose gazes mournfully at the lens, a fearful look in her eyes. The way these are presented in their full original size, pre-cropping, situates them firmly in their context. We see glimpses of prints on the studio wall, pieces of lighting equipment intrude into the edges of pictures and in one, a wizened elderly gentleman squints at the lens while the eyes and fingers of the photographer’s assistant holding up the backdrop protrude into the top of the frame.

‘Studio Photo Jacques’ becomes a window on provincial life in ‘70s and ‘80s Cameroon; a society urbanising, bureaucratising, and increasingly receptive to outside influences. Two young women in patterned gowns and headdresses proudly show off a handbag and cassette player, a boy with a mischievous grin balances a tray of cigarettes on his head, and a matriarch brandishes a large fly whip, a symbol of authority, with two gourds resting at her feet. One of the most charming portraits is that of a businessman dressed in a suit and carrying a walking stick. He could be waiting for a bus anywhere in the world were it not for the intricate pattern of beads that decorates the stick. The prop grounds him in the world outside the studio door. This is one of several portraits in which the lines and patterns of 1970s aesthetics are juxtaposed with the geometric designs of traditional artwork. Touselle works with subjects of all ages and classes, and his affection for the people of Mbouda is plain to see. Local costumes are set in arrangements and poses which heighten their timeless grace, and while a suave besuited gentleman gazes seriously into the distance, the painted lion on the backdrop behind him roars at the camera. The photos are a synthesis of artist and subject.

Indeed, for all of the eclectic delights of the museum, the photos represent a very distinct approach to the portrayal of world customs and peoples. Whereas the museum’s collections group specimens of human behaviour thematically, disconnected from origins from which some were separated under questionable circumstances (such as the ornamental skulls ‘found’ on a ledge outside a wooden house-front by the donor), the exhibition offers an intimate, complete portrayal of its subject, firmly bound to its context. A visit to these engaging examples of two very different formats of anthropological understanding is truly fascinating – the Pitt Rivers is a peck o’ joy, and offers much more than just shrunken heads.

Der Spiegel has produced a corker. Its latest front cover splashes the Mona Lisa with the face of centre-right Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose coalition is facing a touch of bother over reforms to the economy. The accompanying text asks: "Why is this lady smiling?" They're right, you wonder why she's smiling. The Thatcherite Chancellor disagrees with her coalition allies on subsidies for commuters, plans to partially privatise the national rail system and a minimum wage for postal workers. To make matters worse, rail employees are on strike, the coalition members are sending subtle warnings to each other through the media and the cross-party system seems to be failing miserably. You do wonder how conservatives and socialists can work as allies, but the electoral system in Germany has made it common.A hopeless situation, you'd think? Well, who predicts this setup in Britain in a few years and would even keep their party out of a coalition, thereby encouraging it? That's right, the Liberal Democrats. Watch Chris Huhne say it at about 13min here.

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Happy Holidays, Cappuccino-ers! Because today, on my side of the pond, it’s Thanksgiving. Stories of Pilgrims and Native Americans aside, this holiday is a wonderful chance to overdose on Brussels Sprouts, Candied Yams and the all-American Pumpkin Pie . In between, we’re supposed to find time to count life’s blessings. Here are my thank-yous for the day:

1. I am thankful for Wikipedia , by virtue of which I will be hastily writing two essays without visiting the library once this weekend.

2. I am thankful that I was broke when I left England in May and that I remain broke enough today to stash whatever small sums of money I have under my sofa and not in any bank accounts the Exchequer might be managing.

3. I am thankful that a judge in New York is allowing the theater workers’ strike to continue but has made the performers in the year’s holiday play—“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”—come back to work . Forget labor politics: the city without its Christmas tourist attractions is a true economic crisis.

4. I am thankful that the U.K. and the Commonwealth are talking tough to Pakistan’s military dictator , since the United States appears a bit too enmeshed to do the right thing.

5. I am thankful for hot cups of tea, and for my mother’s care packages of Indian curry mix from home, a delicious break from the horrors of student dining.
6. I am thankful that I live in a country with a holiday exclusively devoted the consumption of large quantities of food.

What are you thankful for?
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An Oxford researcher has attempted to distance himself from “misleading” media reports twisting the results of a study on the effects of binge-drinking on unborn children.
 

The article, published online last week by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, studied the results of experiments carried out over the last 35 years on the relation between binge-drinking during pregnancy and damage to the unborn child.

It concluded that there was “no convincing evidence of adverse effects of prenatal binge-drinking,” but newspaper headlines came out with bold claims such as: ‘Binge-drinking while pregnant OK’ (Metro).

Dr Ron Gray, the senior member of the study’s research team, said that the media’s coverage of the study was inaccurate. He said, “This happens a lot with medical articles. Our conclusion was that the evidence is unclear, not that binge-drinking is safe. In the paper we specifically advise against binge-drinking while pregnant.”

Dr Gray defended his team’s belief that women who report isolated instances of binge-drinking should not be made to feel excessive concern.The research has provoked negative responses from experts who believe that scientists have a responsibility to consider the message that the public might take from their work.

Professor Andrew Shennan, of St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, said, “You learn with time that just because you don’t prove something doesn’t mean it’s not there. If you replicated the study on a larger scale I’d put money on the fact that you would find something. Even very small amounts of alcohol can damage the foetus.”

He added, “To be responsible we need to say that alcohol is not safe. There is a danger that researchers put a spin on their articles because they want them to be high-profile.”

In response to such criticism Dr Gray said, “How could we have known that our research would be misinterpreted? That logic would apply to people doing important research on obesity, smoking, drugs; you name it.”

Mervi Jokinen, a spokesperson for the Royal College of Midwives, said that she was “deeply concerned” that the study gave the impression that drinking during pregnancy is safe, but conceded that the risk from a single episode of binge-drinking during early pregnancy is “minimal.”

She added, “Concerns about possible media response should not influence scientific research, as long as it is carried out ethically."

Both Cherwell and The Oxford Student have scooped awards at this year's Guardian Student Media awards. Former Cherwell Stage Editor Ben Lafferty was runner-up in the best critic category and former Isis Editor Ruth Lewy was runner-up for the best feature writer award. The Oxford Student Editor Andy Heath was runner-up for best reporter.

The widow of a respected Wolfson College don is facing extradition to her native Poland on charges she engineered the wrongful execution of a wartime hero more than fifty years ago.

Helena Wolinska-Brus, now 88 and a resident of North Oxford, joined the Polish communist movement in 1939 after escaping the Warsaw ghetto in the Nazi-occupation era. As a magistrate in the post-war Soviet regime, she headed the 1953 prosecution of Gen. Emil Fieldorf, a wartime resistance leader. Allegedly, his refusal to collaborate with the new regime led to the fabrication of false evidence accusing him of killing Soviet soldiers and communist anti-Nazi fighters.

Fieldorf, whose body has never been found, was posthumously pardoned after the overthrow of the Soviet regime.

The campaign against Mrs Wolinska is being led by Fieldorf’s daughter, Maria, who called the former prosecutor "one of those careerists who are the pillars of any dictatorship." Maria learned from a rabbi that her father had been kept in solitary confinement for 23 months: “He had been starved and harassed and was under constant interrogation,” she said. “It was a terrible experience and I vowed to repay them.”

Mrs Wolinska is also accused of arranging for the false arrests of 24 others as part of a campaign to quell anti-Soviet resistance.

Two previous attempts at extraditing Mrs Wolinska, made in 1999 and 2001, were refused by British authorities because of Mrs Wolinska’s age. Poland’s recent admission to the EU now means, however, that a Warsaw military tribunal was allowed to issue the warrant for Mrs Wolinska without permission from British courts.

Responsibility for making the arrest would lie with the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), who were unable to comment on the case. If convicted, Mrs Wolinska could spend up to 10 years in prison.

Speaking from her home in Bardwell Road, Mrs Wolinska called the case “political,” complaining that she has been made a scapegoat for a trial in which she denies involvement. “I am the only one alive. I can't even call witnesses if I'd like to have them because everyone is dead," she said. “I do not know why the whole business is coming up again. This is an old case.”

Wolinska-Brus has lived in England since 1972 and is now a British citizen. Her husband, Wlodzimierz Brus, was Emeritus Professor of Russian and East European studies and fellow of Wolfson College. He died in August.

By Hannah Nepil

A worrying property of sketch shows is their boundless potential for embarrassment, which at times can reach astonishing proportions. The electric effect of a successful sketch can be flattened with one puny joke and the scene sent reeling like a deflating balloon. There are those who derive some kind of adrenaline kick out of these high risk situations and who, on viewing the title “FEAR” sprawled across the Oxford Revue's programme at the OFS this week, might believe they had cause for celebration.

Happily the ominous tone set by this title jarred with the content of the production itself, whose sophisticated writing, direction and acting dismissed all anxieties. The show boasted an innovative platter of surreal satire.  Particularly memorable was the exchange between Harry Potter and a copiously hairy Dumbledore, whose tresses alone rendered him a rather woolly miracle of wizardry. The players themselves fell prey to their own mockery, the scene-changes were punctuated by growls of “think that was funny, do you?” and the half-hearted tinkling of a pianist so apathetic that he practically dripped on-stage.   Apparently he could not muster the energy to drip back off again, and proceeded to serve as a stony and somewhat inexplicable backdrop to the subsequent drama.

The breadth of styles covered was vast. In West End Diva, Grace Ang-Lygate's considerable talents were showcased. She managed to sing and prance superbly across the stage whilst milking her humorous lines to their full capacity. Michael Docherty, whose “guitar-accompanied comic ditties have been praised by two members of his family” can now congratulate himself on a more substantial following. The cult of the ballet-dancing sperm however provided one of the highlights of the affair, especially when confronted with a hula-hooping egg. The acting was equally varied. Keiran Hodgson and Natalie Dibsdale's versatility and charisma particularly stood out and when the entire cast joined together they did so with absolute cohesion. Some of the scenes could have benefited from further development of the highly comical material whilst parts of the less successful sketches could have been weeded out. Yet, after such a wacky high-energy production, fiercely executed by an outstanding cast, the overwhelming urge was simply to enjoy it. 

Ben Lafferty and Rob Morgan are back with reviews of the week in drama:
 Part One: Laugh Tracks
Part Two: Secrets of Life and Love 
Part Three: Duchess of Malfi 
Check back next week for the last pubcast of term.  

Thames Valley Police have reported that the number of burglaries across Oxfordshire has dropped by a third.
So far there have been 1,054 burglaries in Oxfordshire compared with 1,548 last year – a drop in 494. The city of Oxford itself has seen the biggest fall – 37 per cent from 799 to 504.
November usually sees an increase in burglaries, thought to be due to the shorter daylight hours and the approach of Christmas, with people keeping presents in their homes.
A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police said that they have been working especially hard to investigate and pursue burglaries, and hoped the downward trend would continue.
Insp Colin Paine, head of priority crime in Oxford, said: "In addition to the normal police business of arresting offenders, the burglary team is going one step further by actively making Oxford an uncomfortable place for burglars to live – conducting home visits, phoning them and even sending them birthday cards to remind them not to offend."
Break-ins fell by a third, but violent crime rose by about 30 per cent. There was also a small rise in assaults.