Germany was my focus today at the National Gallery. Specifically, I chose to examine four works by Hans Holbein the Younger in room 4. All of his work featured people- three of the paintings were portraits while one painting was much larger than the others and contained two men and a background scene. The painting with the two men was called Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve, or The Ambassadors. It was completed in 1533 for Dinteville, the French ambassador to the court of King Henry VIII. The two men are obviously wealthy. They are well dressed and even wearing fur. This painting gives the viewer an idea of what the upper class would have looked like. The room in which they are standing contains several objects which seem to make cultural statements. It featured a lute with a broken string, which might stand for the chaos caused by the Reformation. A silver crucifix was also in the room and served as a reminder for the importance of Christianity. Several globes and navigation tools can be seen in the painting. At the time of the painting’s production, the various European nations were in the middle of the Age of Exploration. Seafaring and exploring were clearly important to this culture. The most interesting aspect of the painting was a white shape on the floor. When viewed from the right hand side it becomes clear that this shape is actually a skull. This skull might serve as a reminder of human mortality. People of this culture must have been ever aware of death’s presence for the artist to include it in the painting.
The other three paintings of Holbein’s that I viewed were portraits. Unlike the previous painting, these paintings suggest that simplicity was also valued. The portrait called Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling showed a lady sitting outside in front of a tree. A squirrel and a starling stand by her. The animals and tree emphasize the presence and peace of nature. Next to this painting was a portrait of Christina of Denmark, the Duchess of Milan. She wears a black mourning dress that seems expensive and has fur around the neck. The background is only a blue wall with a shadow of the duchess. This portrait was for Henry VIII when he was seeking a fourth wife. The intention of this painting is clearly to reveal the looks of Christina of Denmark because the simple background contains nothing else which might cause the viewer’s attention to stray from the person. The last portrait of Holbein’s was a portrait of Erasmus, the humanist scholar. Erasmus has his hands placed on a book and other books in the background. The presence of the books suggests that this culture must have valued science and discovery. Holbein’s work reflects both simplicity and complexity. Each piece reveals some interesting aspect about the culture in which it was produced.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Westminster Abbey
What most amazed me about Westminster Abbey is the way in which it draws together so many aspects of English culture. As a church, it is of course a major religious center. Many beautiful religious objects (chalices, altars, etc.) as well as wall carvings and stained glass windows testify to the religious value of Westminster Abbey. This church also plays a major role in affairs of state. Monarchs hold their coronations at Westminster Abbey. Tombs of English rulers including Elizabeth I and Henry III can be found in the church. Aside from the royalty, many prominent English people and families are entombed in Westminster Abbey. Because Westminster Abbey is the resting place of rulers and social notables, this one place links religion with state. There is also another dimension to these cultural links. The Poet’s Corner houses the tombs of such notable artistic figures as Lord Byron and Geoffrey Chaucer. English society must place a high value on artistic talent to place the tombs of these important literary figures in the same place as monarchs. Westminster Abbey is so unique because politics and diplomacy, religion, and the arts are all represented inside a beautiful and historical building.
During our visit to Westminster Abbey, the priests opened up the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor and invited visitors to sit in the shrine and pray. I took advantage of this opportunity and gained a sense of the importance of tradition to the church. The prayer was very structured and had some traditional aspects as the visitors responded to the priest with certain words and the priest asked for the intercession of St. Edward the Confessor. Being in his shrine was a constant reminder of the monarchical tradition in England as well. As I thought about being in the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor I had to think of all the monarchs who followed him. These traditional aspects as well as the fusion of various elements of English culture made visiting Westminster Abbey a unique and exciting experience.
During our visit to Westminster Abbey, the priests opened up the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor and invited visitors to sit in the shrine and pray. I took advantage of this opportunity and gained a sense of the importance of tradition to the church. The prayer was very structured and had some traditional aspects as the visitors responded to the priest with certain words and the priest asked for the intercession of St. Edward the Confessor. Being in his shrine was a constant reminder of the monarchical tradition in England as well. As I thought about being in the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor I had to think of all the monarchs who followed him. These traditional aspects as well as the fusion of various elements of English culture made visiting Westminster Abbey a unique and exciting experience.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friendship in Dorian Gray
One theme that recurred throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray is that of friendship. Wilde describes several friendships, none of which seem to be a typical or genuine friendship. Initially, Basil is friends with Lord Henry and also friends with Dorian, but Lord Henry and Dorian have never met each other. Eventually they do meet and become friends. Some interesting dynamics also occur when the three men gather together.
Right from the beginning of the book, the relationship between Basil and Lord Henry seems to be an odd one. Basil is quiet and artistic while Lord Henry is cynical and outspoken. As was mentioned in class, Basil did not want Lord Henry to meet Dorian, but Henry disregards his wishes and introduces himself to Dorian anyways. From that point on, Dorian develops a closer relationship with Lord Henry than with Basil. Basil realizes this and eventually blames Henry for Dorian’s immoral actions. Though Basil and Henry have very different personalities, one might believe that these differences make their friendship all the more interesting. But from the point where Dorian becomes friends with Lord Henry the friendship between Basil and Lord Henry begins to deteriorate. Basil resents Lord Henry for taking Dorian’s attention and eventually finds fault in Henry’s cynicism and selfish attitude.
Dorian is first introduced to the story as Basil’s friend. Basil admires Dorian’s good looks and seems to find beauty in his youth and innocence. Basil is so impressed with Dorian that he seems to have romantic feelings towards him at some points in the novel. Dorian moves Basil so much that he paints a wonderful picture of Dorian which even Lord Henry recognizes as an excellent work of art. Basil seems to feel uncertain about his friendship with Dorian and eager to keep their relationship a secret. Once Lord Henry meets Dorian, Basil watches as Dorian becomes influenced by Henry. Henry seems to gain pleasure from watching Dorian absorb his cynical attitude. Henry makes Dorian conscious of just how attractive and young he is and urges him to be selfish while he can. Dorian enjoys the company of Lord Henry and soon becomes corrupted. Eventually, Dorian even kills Basil in his ultimate act of selfishness.
These relationships can give an idea about what friendship was like in Oscar Wilde’s time. The book shows how friends had to be near the same social status. Though Lord Henry is the most socially prominent man, Basil and Dorian both have ties to the aristocracy. Basil is a talented artist while Dorian’s parentage links him halfway with the upper class. The relationship between Lord Henry and Dorian suggests that sometimes people befriended someone of a different age. This might result in the younger friend learning and adopting the ideas of the older friend while giving the older friend a sense of youth. At some points throughout the book, the various characters attend social functions with many other people like luncheons and parties. Lord Henry gives the impression that these events were socially necessary while not always pleasant. These situations reveal that to be of a high social standing one had to maintain important social connections, find a place in a circle among important people, and work to promote a particular image at social events. Oscar Wilde helps us understand the idea of 19th century friendship by describing the relationships between Dorian, Basil, and Lord Henry.
Right from the beginning of the book, the relationship between Basil and Lord Henry seems to be an odd one. Basil is quiet and artistic while Lord Henry is cynical and outspoken. As was mentioned in class, Basil did not want Lord Henry to meet Dorian, but Henry disregards his wishes and introduces himself to Dorian anyways. From that point on, Dorian develops a closer relationship with Lord Henry than with Basil. Basil realizes this and eventually blames Henry for Dorian’s immoral actions. Though Basil and Henry have very different personalities, one might believe that these differences make their friendship all the more interesting. But from the point where Dorian becomes friends with Lord Henry the friendship between Basil and Lord Henry begins to deteriorate. Basil resents Lord Henry for taking Dorian’s attention and eventually finds fault in Henry’s cynicism and selfish attitude.
Dorian is first introduced to the story as Basil’s friend. Basil admires Dorian’s good looks and seems to find beauty in his youth and innocence. Basil is so impressed with Dorian that he seems to have romantic feelings towards him at some points in the novel. Dorian moves Basil so much that he paints a wonderful picture of Dorian which even Lord Henry recognizes as an excellent work of art. Basil seems to feel uncertain about his friendship with Dorian and eager to keep their relationship a secret. Once Lord Henry meets Dorian, Basil watches as Dorian becomes influenced by Henry. Henry seems to gain pleasure from watching Dorian absorb his cynical attitude. Henry makes Dorian conscious of just how attractive and young he is and urges him to be selfish while he can. Dorian enjoys the company of Lord Henry and soon becomes corrupted. Eventually, Dorian even kills Basil in his ultimate act of selfishness.
These relationships can give an idea about what friendship was like in Oscar Wilde’s time. The book shows how friends had to be near the same social status. Though Lord Henry is the most socially prominent man, Basil and Dorian both have ties to the aristocracy. Basil is a talented artist while Dorian’s parentage links him halfway with the upper class. The relationship between Lord Henry and Dorian suggests that sometimes people befriended someone of a different age. This might result in the younger friend learning and adopting the ideas of the older friend while giving the older friend a sense of youth. At some points throughout the book, the various characters attend social functions with many other people like luncheons and parties. Lord Henry gives the impression that these events were socially necessary while not always pleasant. These situations reveal that to be of a high social standing one had to maintain important social connections, find a place in a circle among important people, and work to promote a particular image at social events. Oscar Wilde helps us understand the idea of 19th century friendship by describing the relationships between Dorian, Basil, and Lord Henry.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Museum of London- overall lifestyle and royal events
The Museum of London offered a great deal of information about political changes and living conditions of Londoners in the 1558-1666 section. King James I faced an attempted assassination known as the Gunpowder Plotled led by Guy Fawkes. A group of English Catholics intended to kill King James I but failed. Charles I was the next king of England who was executed when the Civil War broke out. The Museum of London displayed a depiction of his execution as well as some old coins with his image on them. After the execution of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell came to power as Lord Protector. His death mask was displayed in the museum. Once Oliver Cromwell died, his son ruled briefly and then Charles II was restored to the English throne. An account of his coronation could be seen in the museum. After the Restoration, artists could glorify the monarch in their work again. The museum displayed one such painting that cast Charles II as a triumphant hero.
In addition to these facts and artifacts describing the English royalty, the Museum of London provided information about common people as well. The written information told which type of clothing material was most fashionable at court- namely silk, satin, fine linen, and Italian lace. Some displays showed how the interior of a seventeenth century home might look. A family’s wealth could be guessed not by the size of the home, but by its furniture. Family portraits and clocks often served as decoration for a home. One room on display contained an oak table, a chair, a baby walker, and some pottery. A master’s chair from the Framework Knitters Company was also on display. Families often slept on oak tester beds while servants had to sleep on oak truckle beds. This portion of the Museum of London depicted changes in the English royalty as well as the living conditions of everyday people.
In addition to these facts and artifacts describing the English royalty, the Museum of London provided information about common people as well. The written information told which type of clothing material was most fashionable at court- namely silk, satin, fine linen, and Italian lace. Some displays showed how the interior of a seventeenth century home might look. A family’s wealth could be guessed not by the size of the home, but by its furniture. Family portraits and clocks often served as decoration for a home. One room on display contained an oak table, a chair, a baby walker, and some pottery. A master’s chair from the Framework Knitters Company was also on display. Families often slept on oak tester beds while servants had to sleep on oak truckle beds. This portion of the Museum of London depicted changes in the English royalty as well as the living conditions of everyday people.
Monday, June 22, 2009
E. P. Thompson and British Cultural Studies
One of the most interesting aspects of the Turner book was the work of E. P. Thompson. As a culturalist, Thompson believed that humans could affect the course of history through their actions. People are not simply living through history, but actively shaping it. Any mass movement could alter a course of events and change the outcome. If people acted together and with strong willpower, they could resist the power structure and act against the dominant class. The opposite view to culturalism, known as structuralism, saw humans more as idle objects that lived through events but never changed things. Thompson and the culturalists held an opposite view to these structuralists.
Thompson’s defined culture differently from many other cultural studies scholars. While other scholars studied a particular lifestyle to gain a sense of culture, Thompson saw culture as embodying conflicts between different lifestyles. Culture is not neatly defined as the same way of living for every person. Different groups of people have different traditions, customs, and general ways of living that are always impacting one another. Through these interactions, people are exposed to different practices and common cultural tendencies change over time.
In addition to cultural studies, Thompson’s work impacted the field of history. E. P. Thompson studied social history and rescued the working class from insignificance. Prior to Thompson’s work, historians tended to focus on the elite, dominant classes to understand culture. They felt that the lower classes could not possibly have any sophisticated cultural practices and also held no power to change society and so were not worth studying. Thompson felt differently and spent a great deal of time studying the working class. He believed that their lives revealed a great deal about power dynamics and that the working class people could actually change these power relationships over time. By seeing the idea of culture as more of a struggle from which the working class could not be ignored, Thompson’s work changed both the fields of cultural studies and history
Thompson’s defined culture differently from many other cultural studies scholars. While other scholars studied a particular lifestyle to gain a sense of culture, Thompson saw culture as embodying conflicts between different lifestyles. Culture is not neatly defined as the same way of living for every person. Different groups of people have different traditions, customs, and general ways of living that are always impacting one another. Through these interactions, people are exposed to different practices and common cultural tendencies change over time.
In addition to cultural studies, Thompson’s work impacted the field of history. E. P. Thompson studied social history and rescued the working class from insignificance. Prior to Thompson’s work, historians tended to focus on the elite, dominant classes to understand culture. They felt that the lower classes could not possibly have any sophisticated cultural practices and also held no power to change society and so were not worth studying. Thompson felt differently and spent a great deal of time studying the working class. He believed that their lives revealed a great deal about power dynamics and that the working class people could actually change these power relationships over time. By seeing the idea of culture as more of a struggle from which the working class could not be ignored, Thompson’s work changed both the fields of cultural studies and history
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