The Culture Enthusiast

Waiting in the hotel room by James Hart Dyke

Meeting an agent by James Hart Dyke

This is why I was fascinated by James Hart Dyke's series of paintings entitled "A Year with the MI6". 

In 2009, the centenary year of MI6, Dyke was invited by the British Secret Intelligence Service to depict the secret world of espionage. According to Dyke, "the pictures represented an outsider’s unique interpretation of an existence that, for those who work in SIS [Secret Intelligence Service], can often be dangerous and surreal".

The paintings are incredible, because they seem to have a balance between the insider's and the outsider's point of view. 

The insider knows that an agent's job is more boring and less glamorous than what we see in movies (they have meetings, they exchange information etc).

The outsider thinks spies date a lot of gorgeous women, break the law all the time, get involved in car/airplane/boat chases because most of the information he has of spies comes from movies and books. And the paintings are, as Flavorwire described them, "shadowy". They are dark and blurry just like the world of espionage  is to us - we never really know what goes on there.

Espionage by James Hart Dyke

Maybe Daniel Craig's jaded eyes are closer to life than Pierce Brosnan's suave charm.

You can check all paintings in the artist's website.

What do you think of Dyke's paintings? (In a related topic: Are you excited by the new James Bond movie?)

These beautiful flower studies were drawn by Dutch painter Jan van Huysum from 1697 to 1749. He specialized in still lifes and he aimed for his paintings to be as realistic as possible. 

A little bit of history

Date: 1871

Located in the Gallery of Modern Art, Florence.

A little bit of technique

The use of light and shadow is amazing. Pilate's clothes are transparent and there's great contrast between the hot sun of the background and the cooling marble of the foreground.  

Many famous artists, like Caravaggio and Titian, portrayed this scene. What's unique about Ciseri's portrayal is that Jesus and Pilate are not facing the viewer. They have their backs to us and it is as if we are in the backstage of the scene. We are a character, maybe a servant or a centurion  who was just passing by, heard all the screaming and stopped to see what's happening. 

Because we can't see their faces, body posture is incredibly important.  Pilate bends his body and puts his foot towards the crowd to get closer to them, arms pointing to the "man of pains" as if saying: "Isn't this enough?". 

Christ's body posture is completely different. He looks down, motionless, patiently suffering. 

A little bit of enthusiasm

What calls my attention, other than the extreme beauty of the painting, are the two "supporting" characters: the faceless crowd standing in the balconies at the top of the painting and Pontius Pilate's wife in the right corner of the painting.2

We can't see the faces in the crowd, but some figures at the roof tops have their arms raised. In their euphoria wouldn't they be screaming "Crucify Him!"? 

Pilate's wife, on the other hand, is holding another woman for support. She can't even bear to look at what's happening. Before this all began she told her husband not to harm Jesus because she had dreamed about Him. 

Maybe these two characters, Pilate's wife and (part of) the crowd, weren't Jesus' followers. Not everybody knew and believed He is the Son of God. I've always wondered how non-believers would react being witnesses to the Passion.

The painting shows these different, opposite reactions of people that weren't Jesus' disciples. The crowd's reaction was excitement in face of cruelty. At best they were just going with the flow, with what the majority wanted. Pilate's wife' reaction was sadness and compassion.

The making of this film also appears in a fictionalized form, in Ed Harris' movie Pollock. In the movie we can also see what happened afterwards. It is said that the making of Namuth's film took its toll in Pollock and might have led him back to alcoholism.

  detail from the San Giobbe AltarPiece by Giovanni Bellini (1480)

He received his first lessons from Andrea Mantegna, his brother-in-law, which were decisive for the formation of his talent.

A self-made man, he maitained an independent studio and never received any honours. He was always imposing himself through his own merit.

Even when he was in his 80's he was still proposing new paths to aesthetic research.

In 1516, the german painter Albert Duher, wrote to a friend that he saw Bellini in Venice and that despite Bellini's old age he was still the most important painter there.

Images' sources: 1, 2, 3

What is your favorite painting from Bellini? Do you like his Madonnas?

I'd like to share my latest book purchases and maybe rationalize how on Earth I am supposed to finish all of them. I bought them on the same day and almost couldn't carry them home.

In my defense, they were bargains. (Isn't that always the defense?)

Paul Johnson's preface got me really excited: "It is therefore essential that society defend itself against cultural breakdown. The best way it can do this is by grasping the importance of art to the well-being of mankind: as many people as possible making it their business to examine art constantly, inform themselves about it and develop their faculties of understanding and loving it." 

Don't worry, Paul, I'm on it.

***
I usually begin checking the summary and flipping through the chapters. It always gets me down to see the first chapter is always about cave paintings. I want to skip it but can't bring myself to do so. It looks too much like cheating.

Usually Egyptian and Greek art come after, then I get a little motivated. But most times I want to cheat big time and start backwards, beginning with modernism (usually the chapter that mentions Turner).

I'm extremely suspicious about modern art but I love reading about it. It's like a sick curiosity: I want to see it where it all fell apart. Just kidding. Sort of.

This is probably why I like reading art books, it's like a roller coaster ride. You start very slow and with  great anticipation, then there's a lot of excitement and that Renaissance high, and in the end you get slightly Andy Warhol nauseous.  

Negro attacked by a Jaguar by Henri Rosseau - 1910

I was very surprised to discover his work is categorized as primitive or naive art. I really like his paintings, but I could never really go for primitive art, it always looked a bit artificial to me (I'm looking at you, Gauguin).

"Architecture has for its first duty, in this period of renewal, that of bringing about a revision of values, a revision of the constituent elements of the house." - Le Corbusier

I don't know why but I have this interest on Bauhaus architecture. Maybe it's because the Bauhaus is not only architecture it's also social engineering. More precisely, as the book Living Machines - Bauhaus Architecture as sexual ideology by E. Michael Jones puts it, Bauhaus "embodied a new way of living in conscious revolution against traditional values".1

This book has a very interesting and reader friendly structure: it alternates between one chapter concerning  Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius' life and ideas and a chapter examining the buildings with the Bauhaus style. The conclusion is that all these buildings brought more misery than functionality to their residents. 

People living in different places like the Projects in Chicago, worker's houses in Poland or students dorms in Harvard University all experienced similar problems. A sense of isolation, imprisonment, despair and godlessness is produced by modern architecture. Not to mention problems such as alcoholism, drug abuse, violence and the destruction of families.

The same consequences happening to people in such different cities allows no space for doubts: it was intentional, it was social engineering.

Gropius was using architecture as a means for a cultural revolution. He wanted - in his own words - " to take part in a new community which is going to create the new Man in a new environment". 2

When someone starts talking about creating a new man - beware.

What do you think of the Bauhaus style of architecture? Do you see influences of it in your own city?

Image via Wikipedia

1 and 2: Jones, Living Machines, p. 82

PS: If you're interested in this subject, I also recommend Architecture of the Absurd by John Silber.

Leave it to Matchbook to be inspirational and useful. In their July issue they have an amazing article on how to start collecting art (pages 50 - 59).

This came at the right moment because I've been reading about Peggy Guggenheim lately and totally wanting to be her. Who knows? Maybe I could take some steps towards it (collecting art, not being Peggy Gugghenheim - though having three pups wouldn't hurt).

Their advice on visiting galleries regurlarly made sense to me and one I plan to put into practice asap. Despite being a museum buff I've never been to an art gallery.

This is why Matchbook is one of my favorite (online) magazines. Oh, how I wish they offered print issues!

Image via Matchbook 

Would you like to collect art? Which type (sculptures, paintings, photographs)? If by any chance you already collect art, kudos to you - you're my new hero.

Do you guys remember we were talking about the impact photography had in the arts? Well, take a look at this:

This was painted by Quebec based artist Danielle Richard. Notice how her paintings are successful both at portraying reality and conveying emotion. Her work is so delicate and beautiful - I just can't stop admiring them.

Le repère



A special thanks to Blog of an Art Admirer who got me acquainted with this fabulous artist. All images are from the artist's blog. You can check more of her paintings on her website.

What do you think of the paintings? Do you prefer paintings that are more realistic or more emotional (or a mix,  like romantic realism)?

I've recently became very interested in taking pictures for my blog. It's so interesting changing filters and composing a frame. I feel just like Austin Powers. 

Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio

Source

Later on, Jesus appears once more in the middle of the Apostles and this time Saint Thomas is present. Christ tells him to touch His side as he said he would. Embarassed, Saint Thomas refused. Jesus then takes Thomas' hand and puts in His side. In the end, Jesus says "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Saint Thomas answers: "My Lord and my God!"

A little bit of technique

Caravaggio might have had an infamous reputation as a bar brawler, but he sure knew his Bible. Notice Christ's expression. He is not angry or impatient. He looks compassionately at Thomas. 

Saint Thomas, on the other hand, has an expression of utter surprise and shock. I absolutely love this interpretation: "It could also be surprise at the realization that he, too, is also pierced. Indeed, St. Thomas appears to clutch his side as if he becomes aware of a wound at his side as well. And we who wince at this gritty depiction feel a wound at our side as well."1 

All the Apostles head's form a circle, giving movement to the painting: we look at one, then to the other, until we reach Christ's wounded chest.

Isn't the presence and expression of the other Apostles amazing? I mean, they had already seen Christ Ressurected, but it's like they took this opportunity to observe more. Human beings are naturally curious and the Apostles were facing Jesus - the one whose actions, if written down, could fill the whole world with books.2

A little bit of enthusiasm

I always felt sorry for Saint Thomas in this episode. At the same time, I feared I might have done the same thing if I were in his situation. Isn't his attitude even praised nowadays? 

But through Caravaggio's painting, we are reminded that Christ loves and cares about Thomas despite his incredulity. He even came back and made another apparition for his sake and for the sake of all doubting Thomas out there. 

Sources: 

1 Art in the Christian Tradition

2 John 21:25

2. Despite painting so much, he still managed to create incredibly different portraits. His arch-rival, English painter Thomas Gainsborough, said of him: "Damn him! How various he is!"

4. He was one of the founders and the first president of the Royal Academy. In his last speech as president, in 1790, he dedicated his speech to his rival Thomas Gainsborough. You can read some of his discourses, where he advocates rigorous academic training and the study of old masters, here

5. He was an intellectual himself and had many friends who were writers and thinkers such as Edmund Burke, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Oliver Goldsmith and Horace Walpole.

Source (3) The Story of Art by E. H. Gombrich p. 355-356

All images via WikiPaintings

What's your favorite painting by Reynolds? Do you like portraits?

Lately I've been so in love with collages. I didn't use to like this medium before, probably because I was so suspicious of modern art in general, which led me to be suspicious of contemporary art too. But the more I see collages the more I feel inspired to try making my own!

I've recently discovered the work of Nicola Starr, a Canada based artist who has a series of collages inspired by the book The Catcher in the Rye. I love this book and the collages are amazing. Although their starting point is the book, they can also be appreciated without having read it.