Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Thursday, March 31, 2016

Light


It would be absolutely accurate to say, that I have no artistic talent whatsoever. And my knowledge of art, its history and practice is sketchy at best. Still there is one basic, like most people, I really appreciate. Light. In all its manifestations.


"The older I become the more I realize of that I have to work very hard to reproduce what I search: the instantaneous. The influence of the atmosphere on the things and the light scattered throughout"    Claude Monet, 1891
 

"The climax of Impressionism". That's how the series of views of Rouen Cathedral painted by Claude Monet between 1892 and 1894 has been best described. The series - consisting of 31 canvases showing the facade of the Gothic Rouen Cathedral under different conditions of light and climate- caused an immediate admiration among the critics of his time.

It was on a  vacation to France  (celebrating Mrs. T.s retirement) that I stood on the plaza in front of that cathedral and remembered the PBS special on Monet and his studies of light. I was so enthralled I managed to get my billfold picked. Ooops, I digress...fortunately it was a decoy in my back pocket. The valuables were in a pouch hanging from my neck.
 

It was a somewhat overcast hazy morning when we arrived. Unfortunately, it was the same condition as when we had visited the cathedral in Chartes. I had advised Mrs. T there to look up at the stained glass windows and be prepared to see heaven. The blue at Chartes is stunning.
 
Mrs. T's photograph of the North Rose  window ensemble of Chartes Cathedral on a somewhat hazy day. Still magnificent. We stood in silent awe......


 
 


15 comments:

  1. I, too. have an increased appreciation and need for light as I age. The new downsized home we are having built is filled with light. There's is very little wall space but lots of windows. Your "sketchy" knowledge and self-proclaimed lack of artistic savvy apparently don't at all hamper your recognition and appreciation of beauty manmade or, judging from earlier posts, God made.

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  2. Beautiful.
    And please tell us more about the way to fake out a pick pocket. ;-) I think a good story is on the way.
    Carla

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  3. That stained glass is spectacular!

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  4. Truly works of art! I'm so glad you two got to see them.

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  5. i could watch his paintings and subjects forever

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  6. You were so clever to have a decoy wallet! And I agree that the light is spectacular through these different venues. You are so positive! :-)

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  7. Beautiful. And one needn't be an artist to appreciate good art, or good light!

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  8. Stained glass windows always take my breath away. That is so clever about the decoy wallet.

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  9. Light is one of my fascinations, too. That is a beautiful window.

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  10. As well as traditional art, the best photography is about the light

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  11. Great post TB. I love the images and your photos. I, too, love the stolen wallet snippet, which spurred my imagination. The idea of scamming the scammer has inspired many. In one of my favorite movies, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Michael Caine and Steve Martin are con artists who are conned by an even better one played by Glenne Headly.

    I imagined your would be pick pocketer stopping around the corner, rifling through your empty wallet, staring at the smiley face sticker you placed there, and becoming obsessed with revenge. He saved his money for years and flew to America intent on repossessing the Statue of Liberty from those smart alec Americans. Renting a U-Haul, he drove to New York, saw the statue, realized it was much bigger than he thought, and lay his head on the steering wheel and wept.

    I think we are all artists and find ways to express ourselves. This idea isn't original to me. Just this morning I was looking over a special issue of an online magazine and came across this:

    "What do Edgar Allen Poe, Theodor Adorno, György Lukács, and John Dos Passos have in common? All four writers understand the prevailing logic of art to be one of formal subordination. That is, they all believe that the work of art produces “a resolution that will make what we already know worth knowing.”

    Art is one way we make sense of life, both by experiencing it and creating it. You often use words, or the medium of photography. Monet used light and paint. You taught your students how to see and put to their own purposes the light of reason. We all have our ways.

    They can be further developed after we discover them. Many people think schools should focus on things like this instead of constant testing. They do that in Cuba. Every Cuban is an artist. It has deepened the Cuban Revolution. Many people think that with its recent entreaty to Cuba -- which if you noticed wasn't much criticized by the political establishment -- our government think it will undermine Cuban Socialism with McDonald's and Wal Marts, but I think they are in for a surprise. Thanks again, TB.


    The source of the quote: http://www.mediationsjournal.org/

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  12. That stained glass is beautiful. How wonderful that you were able to go on this trip with Mrs T. A pick pocket..you sure fooled him:)

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  13. Excellent post! I love Monet! But both times I went to France, someone tried to rob us, not successfully.

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  14. That was how I felt so many times when visiting Florence, Italy. A constant feast for the eyes.

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  15. Must have been quite a sight in person.

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