Examine the significance of the portrait in
Examine the significance of the portrait in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." The portrait in the book was originally painted by Basil Hallward who believed it was the greatest thing he had ever done. Everyone admired the painting and it wins him the respect of all his friends. Another significance of the portrait to Basil Hallward is that it poignantly turned out to be the cause of his own death when Dorian madly murders him, as he was the man who painted the portrait that went so wrong. "The mad passions of a wild animal stirred within him..." (Dorian Gray) This shows how angry and disturbed Dorian had become. The portrait was also a physical representation of Basil's fascination with Dorian and how much he admired him that the painting he did was thought to be the best he had ever done. This leads to the significance of the portrait and Dorian. When Dorian first met Lord Henry, he had no idea of how good-looking he was. Lord Henry alerted him to the power of his appearance. This lead to Dorian becoming narcissistic and obsessive, he looked upon the painting with genuine fascination. Dorian believed that it too was the loveliest portrait he had seen. Wilde uses Dorian's obsession with the painting to implicitly condemn aestheticism. However, this is contradicting what he said in his preface and how he portrays Lord Henry, which is a representation of himself. Lord Henry
Toral: 30 Years of Painting
TORAL: 30 YEARS OF PAINTING We must admit that Toral is a master of Spanish contemporary painting now, because he also expresses a feeling for things which can only be expressed from his Spanish roots, from the general ambience of Spanish contemporary, integrated in today´s Europe without denying its own features. His infancy was marked by an innate and unstoppable vocation. This was followed by an intense dedication and a rigourous training. Both define the start of his incessant pictorial evolution, in which searching and experimenting occupy an outstanding position. Currently, Toral,s painting has a quality which is very difficult to combat with old aesthetic theories creaking with <<good taste>> now more conventional than ever. He has shown us the essential ambiguity of art, its sensory fluidity, the abollition of all ideological posters which constantly warn us <<no thoroughfare>>. Art on the contrary, is filtered by the walls, the emotion of art without analysis. The art of each era is rationalised after being expressed. I´m nevertheless conscious there is something in Toral´s art which doesn´t <<repeat>> more traditional painting, something absolutely new in its way of emphasizing reality strong, modern, Toral is completely submerged in the struggle for a new conception of art, the clear consequence of his evolution and overcoming of previous problems. He is one
Artist research into Tom Blacwell's 'Hudson river landscape'
Tom Blackwell: Hudson River Landscape 984 Oil on canvas First impressions: At first sight I notice the cold feel of the painting, and I see a car beside a wall with graffiti on it. There is pond with a still reflection on it beside the car. This painting makes me think about the slums of a city - the dumps. There is some sort of cloth like material protruding from the windscreen of the car which I find quite strange. 5 words I would use to describe this painting would be; cold, lucid, observational, run-down and urban. Basic elements: The colours used in this painting are quite cold. There is a strong blue glaze over the painting suggesting it's set either around dawn or dusk. The colours are quite dark yet not dull. Blackwell brings out the light in the reflection in the pond beside the run down car. The colours are very much realistic; however they give an almost surreal effect, because of the reflection in the pond and the 'twilight feel to the painting'. Tonal shading is quite an important aspect of this painting, as different hues of blue have been used to bring out certain parts of the painting while other darker tones have been used to bring back parts of the paintings into the shadows. Content: When I first look at this painting, I see a typical urban scene. It seems dusk has arrived; giving everything a deep blue glaze. I see a run down car beside a pond,
When I first look at the 'Mona Lisa', I notice the intriguing look that is on her face. The expression
Mona Lisa c.1503-1506, Oil on wood panel, 77cm x 53cm, Louvre. When I first look at the 'Mona Lisa', I notice the intriguing look that is on her face. The expression is one that reminds me of a lady that is neither happy nor sad, smiling nor frowning. Her skin is very smooth and she has no blemishes, but also she has no eyebrows, which makes her look quite strange. At different times the expression on Mona Lisa changes. Sometimes she is giving a cheeky smile and others she looks puzzled. This is very strange and almost magical. Also, when looking at the Mona Lisa, I notice that her face is bathed in light. This light is almost heavenly and gives the impression that she is angelic. But on the contrary, another thing I notice is the dark clothing and gloomy mysterious background setting. The dark clothing and the veil covering her hair give the impression that she has been to a funeral or is in mourning. The background setting is very mysterious. The winding roads, ravenous mountains and the gloomy fog all add to the mystery. It is as if the background is right out of a fantasy story. Another weird thing that the background does is makes the beholder unsure on which time of day it is in the picture. The painting is Oil on a poplar wood panel. This was Da Vinci's main style. It may have helped to create the Sfumato technique. The size of the painting is 77cm x 53cm, this
Visit To London Aquarium
Visit to The London Aquarium I had never visited the London Aquarium before, but because I was so keen to do "Underwater" I decided to give a treat to my sisters and myself by flooding our senses! Aside from the groups of school children and thousands of families eagerly waiting to be allowed inside one at a time, stepping into the aquarium felt, for a moment, like swimming in the ocean. It was fantastic! The entry is light-hearted to downright goofy... A guard in misty ostrich feathers keeps the queue orderly in the pleasantest way... A car complete with sunroof has been turned into a giant aquarium... Potpourri with citrus rinds is served up in shells... A videogame's "joystick"? -- a paddle for "riding the rapids"! Displayed in tanks from floor to ceiling, the London Aquarium is home to hundreds of different varieties of fish and sea life from around the world. The aquarium is split into different displays each of which represents an area of the world's aquatic life including the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The London Aquarium's Pacific Ocean display is 5 metres deep, holds 1 million litres of marine water, and contains tiger sharks, brown sharks, a nurse shark and the only zebra sharks in the UK. London Aquarium is not only one of the newest and largest aquaria in Europe, but also one of the finest. It is housed in the cellars of
How does "Dangerous Love" combine social realism with fantasy in order to explore Post-colonial experience of Nigerian youth?
Q 7) DANGEROUS LOVE Q) How does "Dangerous Love" combine social realism with fantasy in order to explore Post-colonial experience of Nigerian youth? "I was walking through a dark forest when it happened. The trees turned into mist. And when I looked back I saw the dead girl. .........She didn't have a nose or mouth..........She followed me everywhere I went." - Extract from a Notebook(Dangerous Love) Ben Okri started to write as a realist with post-colonial themes. Being a magic realist, he resorts to fantasy, dream visions and illusions and more, inventing and creating in his novel rather than simply recording events or facts. This leading figure of the Nigerian writers brings together the modernist strategies and Nigerian literary tradition in his works. Okri's "Dangerous Love" is a captivating novel that presents to the readers an epic of daily life. Revolving around the life of an artist and his doomed love, interwoven in this narrative of post-colonial Africa, are the sordid realities of a ghetto life with passionate emotions that creep within people enclosed in these boundaries. The very title of the novel suggests the risk at which the protagonist and his ladylove are. Their love is born in danger and eventually also ends under violent circumstances. On one hand Okri talks of such hazardous lives of the Africans, while on the other hand, he makes Ifi and Omovo
An Introduction to Experimental Photography
An Introduction to Experimental Photography The Photogram The photogram has a similar concept to that of an X-ray. Usually, objects are placed directly onto a photo-sensitive medium; in most cases this is photographic paper. The paper would be exposed to light and developed to reveal a sort of captured, reversed shadow or silhouette. The result relates to the laws of photography: the areas of the paper that received light appear darker than the areas that did not receive any light. The photogram is a technique of lens-less photography; although in some circumstances the technique is mixed with straight photographic prints. One example of this is the Vignette. This involves the placement of an oval cut out above the print during exposure. A corresponding oval is then laid on the photo and with exposure an image is revealed in the centre with a black background. Hand Colouring Hand colouring refers to the process of selectively applying dyes to photographic prints with a fine brush. Obviously this can provide great emphasis if used effectively on black and white photos. Solarization and the Sabattier Effect Solarization was discovered by a French photographer named Armand Sabattier in 1862. It was an accidental discovery made by the unintentional severe over exposure of a print. Solarization is the partial or total reversal of the tones in a photographic image;
Rhythm of Wild Water.
Rhythm of Wild Water The coral wall detailed in this painting features Fish found mainly in, but not limited to, the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Here, you see white-collar butterfly fish, raccoon butterfly fish and black-backed butterfly fish swimming alongside angelfish, reef goldfish and the emperor snapper. Sea urchins reside quietly while a red grouper; also known as the coral trout, watches from nearby. Eye of the Beholder The artist is fascinated by the flamboyant hues and distinctive design of this particular fish species, called a wrasse. The fish's abstract qualities inspired Stahl to paint a work that functions not only as a lifelike detail, but also as an artistic design. Allowing the fish's natural colors to create a path for the viewer's eye, this piece depicts just an upper portion of the face of the wrasse. Genesis The spark of Nicole's inspiration for Genesis came from the beautiful and intriguing coral reefs, found in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Turks and Caicos Islands. She and her husband photographed the coral finger formations that you see in this painting, while they were on holiday there. Reefs such as these often play host to numerous "cleaner fish" who transform the reef into a sort of cleaning station. Here, large sea animals, such as this green sea turtle, can come to be freed of the myriad of parasites and algae that cover their bodies. It is an
With Reference to the French 'enlightenment' notions on femininity masculinity and the family, describe the ways in which ideals of family, mother - and fatherhood, were articulated in French painting and graphic arts in the decades between c. 1750 and 17
With Reference to the French 'enlightenment' notions on femininity masculinity and the family, describe the ways in which ideals of family, mother - and fatherhood, were articulated in French painting and graphic arts in the decades between c. 1750 and 1790. The Enlightenment movement during the French Revolution (1789 - 1799) stemmed from general unrest from individuals of all classes in France. Louis XVI was believed to have failed as a monarch, due to the fact that during his reign the economy of his country had become very weak, due to taxation, national debt and expenditure during the wars of the 18th century. A feeling of resentment towards the monarchy was rife throughout the country and the rise of a new upper middle class, a new bourgeoisie led to the decline of the rigidity of the 'old order.'1 Individuals of all classes succumbed to the influence of the 'Enlightenment' as its main goals were to: 'Free people from unnecessary restraints on their freedom through social and political reform.'2 The movement believed that the changing European society needed new solutions to old political problems, thus making it a time of new thinking and political reform. The Revolution in France resulted in changed attitudes towards the roles of women, men and family life, which is important to consider when discussing how family ideals were articulated in French art from the years
Aesop (based on Velzquez) by Goya
Aesop (based on Velázquez) by Goya The picture is about an old woman who is holding a book with a basin and there are some materials beside her. I do not think the picture is influenced by religion and politics. The image has been observed directly by the artist. The picture is treated representationally as the image is very clear without any deliberate exaggeration or abstraction. The meaning of the picture is hidden quite deeply, but I think from the book she is holding, it suggests she is well educated which is quite amazing because at her time (18th century), education among women was unusual. With the basin and the materials beside her, I think this might suggest that she is working class. I think she might be a governor in a house which she has to teach and works at the same time. The old lady is standing in the central to the composition with all objects in the corner or behind her which makes her stand out from the background. This also hides the deeper meaning as we may not realise there is a symbolic meaning behind the basin and the materials. The colours that were used are mostly 'cold' colour. On the left of the picture, it is likely to be the colour of autumn with yellow, brown. On the right of the picture, it is likely to be the colour of winter with black, darker green and darker brown. I think the whole picture is in great harmony. It is painted very