Marble in Metamorphosis

The piece of marble is no more a painting than nature itself is a painting, yet like a painting it speaks for itself: it is complete. It is separated from the process of its own becoming and can stand apart. It is also a narrative of sorts, a story of time, though one with neither protagonist nor author – a very impartial kind of witness, this [...] piece of marble, that is being given an opportunity to testify. — Rachel Cusk, Marble in Metamorphosis In her essay of the same name, Marble in Metamorphosis, Rachel Cusk explores the meaning of marble in different cultures. On a visit to a marble-bearing Greek island in the Aegean Sea, she considers its enduring nature, itself brought about after a period of great pressure. Marble has long been used to display political power and wealth. It also betrays vanity and corruption. Dictators built their palaces from marble which outlasted their rule and now disappear gradually into the ground, literally sinking beneath the weight of their own am