Categories
Art and Photographic History Penwith Uncategorized

French painter Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898) -The Poor Fisherman – Oil on canvas

The Poor Fisherman - Oil on canvas, 155 x 192.5 cm (5' 1

According to the Web Museum in Paris,”He had only modest success early in his career (when a private income enabled him to work for little payment), but he went on to achieve an enormous reputation, and he was universally respected even by artists of very different aims and outlook from his own. Gauguin, Seurat, and Toulouse-Lautrec were among his professed admirers. His reputation has since declined, his idealized depictions of antiquity or allegorical representations of abstract themes now often seeming rather anaemic. He remains important, however, because of his influence on younger artists. He influenced, for instance, the German artist Ludvig von Hoffman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_von_Hofmann and perhaps the Cornish based artist Thomas Cooper Gotch.

Ludvig Von Hoffman
Ludvig Von Hoffman

Gotch

 

 

 

 

 

His simplified forms, respect for the flatness of the picture surface, rhythmic line, and use of non-naturalistic color to evoke the mood of the painting appealed to both the Post-Impressionists and the Symbolists.” Puvis

Hope by Puvis de Chavannes
Hope by Puvis de Chavannes
Woodburytype after a negative by Étienne Carjat (1808-1906)
Categories
Book Reviews German Matters Literature Poetry Uncategorized

“Bin ich ein Tier, dass Musik mich beruehrt?”

Although perhaps reminiscent of Caliban in The Tempest, the quote comes from Gregor Samsa in Kafka’s “Die Verwandandlung”-or Metamorphosis as it is known in English translation. However I found the quote on an interesting and intriguing video about Nietzsche’s categories of the Apollonian and the Dionysian by Claudia Simone Dorchain.

My interest in Nietzsche has been re-awakened by seeing the new film about “Lou Andreas Salome” in Berlin-actually at Eva Lichtspiele at Blissestraße 18-which is a great old-fashioned cinema.  It reminds me of another old filmhouse in Vienna-(The Bellaria Kino) which is situated behind the Volkstheatre and in turn years ago to “The Scala” in the High Street in St Ives -which is where Boots Chemist is situated today. Anyway, for those who are interested this is what it says on the Eva Lichtspiele website:-

Die ‘Eva Lichtspiele’ gelten mit der Eröffnung 1913 unter dem Namen ‘Roland Lichtspiele’ als ältestes Filmtheater im Bezirk Wilmersdorf. In den 20er Jahren, nach einem Umbau und der gleichzeitigen Umbenennung des Kinos in den heutigen Namen, wurden hier die Filme auf Vorschlag des Betreibers mit Musikbegleitung präsentiert – zuerst durch eine Violinistin und später durch ein ganzes Orchester, das durch den Einbau eines zweiten Vorführapparates pausenlos im Einsatz war. Glücklicherweise blieb das Kino während des Zweiten Weltkrieges nahezu unbeschadet, so dass der Kinobetrieb durchgehend aufrechterhalten werden konnte und noch heute viele Einzelheiten des Gebäudes (wie z.B. der schöne elegante Neonschriftzug an der Fassade) auf die lange Kinogeschichte der ‘Eva Lichtspiele’ hinweisen.

Nietzsche I find difficult to come to grips with. Probably, I have read about him rather than reading him directly. Steeped in German classical studies and Schopenhauer, he has had a huge influence on his time but like Heidegger no friend of rationalism or socialist thinking. Although both not only raised interesting questions but demonstrate the continuity of philosophical history. Neo-Thomism and Catholicism in the case of the latter, Plato and Schopenhauer-and both of course were influenced by the Jena poet, Hölderlin.

As to Salome’s influence on Rilke; here is one view relating to her Russian origin:-

“In 1899 Rilke made the first of two pivotal trips to Russia with Salome, discovering what he termed his “spiritual fatherland” in both the people and the landscape. There Rilke met Leo Tolstoy, L. O. Pasternak (father of Boris Pasternak), and the peasant poet Spiridon Droschin, whose works Rilke translated into German. These trips provided Rilke with the poetic material and inspiration essential to his developing philosophy of existential materialism and art as religion. Inspired by the lives of the Russian people, whom the poet considered more devoutly spiritual than other Europeans, Rilke’s work during this period often featured traditional Christian imagery and concepts, but presented art as the sole redeemer of humanity.” This comes from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/rainer-maria-rilke

In any event this film-not the first on her -see the link below to Calvini’s version- is visually appealling making fascinating use of old picture postcards and raises questions over the many radical ideas, poetry music and of course, psychoanalysis. There is a very revealing chapter on her in Lisa Appignanesi and John Forrester’s “Freud’s Women”. I do hope this becomes available soon on DVD with English subtitles just like the Stefan Zweig film currently also playing in Berlin. Zweig too has written interestingly on Nietzsche-the book below is available in English translation. Reading about her and her circle, their poetry and music certainly has a calming effect on me.

The following clip is also revealing:-

LAS

Categories
German Matters Uncategorized

Winterfeld Market,Berlin-a great experience

As most of Schoenefeld prepared for a huge Rainbow Festival, I ventured out into the neighbouring streets through Massenstrasse to the good-humoured crowd in Winterfeld Market. There was some comical exchanges between the punters and the stall holders. Myself, I was looking for a new and cheap hat to relieve the heat from the powerful Sun. There were plenty of hats on sale; I had lost a lovely hat that my daughter had given me in a windy day at Wansee when my beautiful, smart and I thought English looking hat was taken by a Windstoß or Böe blew my hat into a gated secluded villa. In the market there was a variety of hats for sale and yet more expensive at around 15 Euros than I wanted to pay-for just a few days. I thought I found what I was looking for only to discover it was fuer Kinder-and didn’t fit meine klein Kopf!W1

The variety of stalls with delicious cool fruit drinks, summer dresses, wurst stalls and varieties of olives, kebabs and much pickled cabbage on sale. The market is dominated by the lovely neo-Gothic St Matthias Church. In the heat, the smells from cooked meat and fish aded to the atmosphere. More details are at http://blog.sofitel-berlin-kurfurstendamm.com/unmissable-food-market-at-winterfeldtplatz/W

Interesting too was the multi-culti feel of the area. Finding Buddhas in a row outside the Catholic Church was a thought-provoking experience. After turning the corner, there was a great trio of singers who sang in an interesting accent-one sounded Liverpudlian.Wy When they sang, “Bei Mir bist du Schoene”, a tune with a lot of personal feeling for me, I could not resist a few mostly joyful tears. The music in the open air was beautiful and another couple of ladies sang more songs which had a Klezmer feel. It appears that there is a lovely community theatre here under threat from more capitalist development. Community cultural developments like this are so important for people’s development and expression. What a really lovely day!W6WxW4

Categories
German Matters Literature Poetry Uncategorized

“Yiddish songs pass like eternal prayers from generation to generation, from the heart to the mind, from the mind to the soul.” Elie Wiesel

Spiel mir ein kleines Leid auf Jiddisch

Issai Kulvianski Meine Eltern 1 1925 Berlimische Galerie
Issai Kulvianski
Meine Eltern 1
1925 Berlimische Galerie
Spiel mir ein kleines Leid auf Jiddisch,
Das Freude bringen soll und keinen bösen Überaschungen,
Das alle Menschen, groß wie klein,verstehen,
Von Mund zu Mund soll es gehen.
    Spiel,spiel,spiel Musikant,
    Du weißt schon, was ich meine und was ich will!
    Spiel, spiel mir ein Leid,
    Spiel eine Melodie, das Herz hat und Gefül.
Eine Leid ohne Seufzer und Tränen.
Spiel so, alles hören können,
Das alle sehen:ich liebe und kann noch singen!
Schöner noch und besser als zuvor.
    Spiel…
Spiel mir das Lied von Frieden-
Von Wirklem Frieden und nicht nur von einem Traum.
Daß alle Völker groß und klein
Sich miteinander verstehen sollen,
Ohne Kreig und Streit miteinander umgehen.
    Spiel…..
Laßt uns zusammen singen,
Wie gute Freunde, wie Kinder von einer Mutter.
Es ist meines einziges Verlangen, daß es frei und frank herausklingt,
Mein eigener und aller Menschen Gesang!
    Spiel,spiel,spiel Musikant,
    Du weißt schon, was ich meine und was ich will!
    Spiel, spiel mir ein Leid,
    Spiel eine Melodie, das Herz hat und Gefül.
(Source Jiddische Leider Hai & Topsy Frankl Fischer Maerz 1981)
(Information on the painter above is at http://thinknow-thinknow.blogspot.de/2013/10/a-mysterious-artist-issai-kulvianski.html }

Categories
Uncategorized

Watercolour Techniques

Emily Sun's avatarEmily Sun- All Things Creative

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Wet on wet background with salt sprinkles for the sparkling effect, and ink flower drawings on top once background has dried

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Again wet on wet for background, with some alcohol drops to spread paint pigments, once dried use ink pens to draw dandelions.

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Ink and wash: draw shapes with ink pen first, and apply watercolour over it, then add details like spots and shadows to the subjects.

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Draw acorns with watercolour pencil, then add water and other colours

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Categories
German Matters Literature Poetry Uncategorized

More Klabund! A Love Poem

LIEBESLIED

Klabund

Dein Mund, der schön geschweifte,
Dein Lächeln, das mich streifte,
Dein Blick, der mich umarmte,
Dein Schoß, der mich erwarmte,
Dein Arm, der mich umschlungen,
Dein Wort, das mich umsungen,
Dein Haar, darein ich tauchte,
Dein Atem, der mich hauchte,
Dein Herz, das wilde Fohlen,
Die Seele unverhohlen,
Die Füße, welche liefen,
Als meine Lippen riefen -:
Gehört wohl mir, ist alles meins,
Wüßt nicht, was mir das liebste wär,
Und gäb nicht Höll noch Himmel her:
Eines und alles, all und eins.

Information and a great photograph of Klabund, Alfred Henschke, appears at http://www.salonkultur.de/termine/autoren/Alfred_Henschke/56/#.V3TCc7grLIU

One translation by computer gives this in English as:-

Your mouth, the beautifully curly
Your smile that touched me,
Your look that embraced me,
Your lap, which me attention
Your arm, which wrapped around,.
Your Word that me umsungen
Your hair in there I popped up,
Your breath that breathed me,
Your heart, the wild foals,
The soul openly,
The feet, which were,
When my lips called: –
Mine, probably, everything is mine,.
Not know what about me the dearest,
And instead of hell was here yet Heaven:
One and all, all and one.

Maybe Line 6 means something like “Your speech that rings around in my head”

Categories
Poetry Uncategorized

La Mer by Charles Trenet

La mer

La mer
Qu’on voit danser le long des golfes clairs
A des reflets d’argent
La mer
Des reflets changeants
Sous la pluie

La mer
Au ciel d’été confond
Ses blancs moutons
Avec les anges si purs
La mer bergère d’azur
Infinie

Voyez
Près des étangs
Ces grands roseaux mouillés
Voyez
Ces oiseaux blancs
Et ces maisons rouillées

La mer
Les a bercés
Le long des golfes clairs
Et d’une chanson d’amour
La mer
A bercé mon cœur pour la vie

An English translation may be found at Candybarman86.tumblr.com

and in German “Das Meer” here sung by Liselotte Malkowsky

Categories
German Matters Poetry Uncategorized

Irving Berlin – Spiel mir eine alte Melodie

Spiel mir eine alte Melodie
voll Gefühl und Harmonie
Himmelblau und rosa möcht ich sie
zärtlich und voll Poesie

Spielen auch heut ganz andre Lieder die Leut als in der Postkutschenzeit
nichts auf der Welt war so schön als sich zur Polka zu drehn
Man steckte Veilchen ans Kleid die Röcke waren ganz weit o Gott war das eine Zeit
die alte Bahnmelodie ja die vergesse ich nie

Spiel mir eine alte Melodie
voll Gefühl und Harmonie
Himmelblau und rosa möcht ich sie
zärtlich und voll Poesie

Man steckte Veilchen ans Kleid die Röcke waren ganz weit o Gott war das eine Zeit
die alte Bahnmelodie ja die vergesse ich nie

Spielen auch heut ganz andre Lieder die Leut als in der Postkutschenzeit
nichts auf der Welt war so schön als sich zur Polka zu drehn
Man steckte Veilchen ans Kleid die Röcke waren ganz weit o Gott war das eine Zeit
die alte Bahnmelodie ja die vergesse ich nie

Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Adrian Stokes-European

He painted with the Danish Impressionists at Skagen, in St Ives, and above all in Hungary – and has been all but forgotten now.

via Into the Light: Adrian Scott Stokes in St Ives and Hungary — The Eclectic Light Company

Categories
Penwith St Ives Uncategorized West Cornwall (and local history)

Spring arrives in Penwith

Porthmeor Beach, St Ives in February
Porthmeor Beach, St Ives in February

Just a few recent photographs from February to April- the onset of Spring.

Underpass in Heamoor
Underpass in Heamoor
Abbey Slip- Penzance
Abbey Slip- Penzance
Penlee Park in Penzance
Penlee Park in Penzance
Lambeth Walk in St Ives
Lambeth Walk in St Ives
Crab pots -Downalong, St Ives
Crab pots -Downalong, St Ives