Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Today's Attitudes
Craig Simpson, "Lawrence of Arabia portraits given trigger warning," Telegraph (14 January 2026):
I've never succeeded in finishing Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I should try again.
Hat tip: Eric Thomson, who comments:
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Lawrence of Arabia’s portraits have been given trigger warnings for the cultural appropriation of Arab clothing.I reject today's attitudes root and branch. Here's a photograph of T.E. Lawrence by B.E. Leeson (National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG P324), without trigger warning:
The National Portrait Gallery has flagged as “sensitive” artworks depicting the First World War hero in tribal dress.
Portraits of TE Lawrence in his thobe and keffiyeh now come with a warning stating that the images may clash with “today’s attitudes”.
The caution was put in place despite the fact that Lawrence, who fought alongside the Arabs against the Ottoman Empire, was presented with the robes as a gift by the Arab ruler Emir Faisal.
Hat tip: Eric Thomson, who comments:
Reading this triggered a reaction:
Acts 2:40: Σώθητε ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς τῆς σκολιᾶς ταύτης.
Save yourselves from this untoward/crooked/perverse/eldritch generation (I threw in ‘eldritch’ for good measure. A bit of copia verborum never killed anyone).
