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| Bits and PiecesWow, so I was hoping to update this blog more than once a month - sorry guys!
Basically, I'm in the final stretch of a busy semester. My final paper is due March 31st, then I'm done. After that I'll be galavanting about the country taking pictures of everything I lay my eyes on.
So the last blog post I mentioned how my Dutch History class took a trip to the Queen's Gallery in Edinburgh, and I promised a review. Here it is!
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Review of “From Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting”, currently on exhibit at the Queen’s Gallary, Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
My last encounter with Rubens was in the summer of 2007 when I helped my flat-mate move to Boston, Massachusetts. Having a free afternoon, we decided to visit the Fogg Art Museum, which is the oldest of Harvard University’s art museums, and which houses their collection of Western art from the middle ages until present (“Fogg”). Sitting here writing this I was having trouble thinking of exactly which Rubens pieces they had: we spent more than 4 hours in the museum seeing everything from medieval triptychs to Jackson Pollock. All that I remembered about Rubens was thinking that I didn’t particularly care for his work. Looking back, I realize that his genius was lost upon me in the midst of the vast ocean of artwork that my friend and I floated upon, nay, drowned in, that hot afternoon in late July.
The Fogg Museum displays a number of Rubens’ paintings: the ones that I particularly remember (and which thus shaped my ill-judged feelings for the painter’s work) are the complimentary panels of Sts. Peter and Paul. Both of them are darkly-lit bust portraits lacking in color that are well executed but, frankly, a little boring. Sure, it was fun to notice the various elements of Christian symbolism (such as St. Peter holding a key or two), but otherwise I wasn’t much impressed. Little did I know.
Thankfully, all of my conceptions of Rubens and his work were shattered. I was overwhelmed and amazed by four landscapes: Assumption of the Virgin (1611-12), Milkmaid with Cattle in a Landscape (1617-18), Winter: The Interior of a Barn (1618-19), and Summer: Peasants Going to Market (c.1618) (Shawe-Taylor 130, 134, 136, 138). The latter in particular, which seems gigantic at 143.4 x 222.9 cm (Shawe-Taylor 138), is awe inspiring not only for its size, tone, and coloring, but also for the peace and tranquility it extends to the viewer as light from the sun seems to have finally broken through thick clouds. Focus is drawn towards the slightly off-centered pastoral setting of the rather distant lowlands that are bathed in light, while most of the action represented (the movement of peasants proceeding down a hill) is very close and personal. The viewer is clearly meant to feel like an active participant in the scene in the movement towards the peace and light: perhaps a character much like that to the far left of the painting of an old woman carrying a basket, hobbling downhill on her cane towards the main thoroughfare.
With all this talk of color, peace, and tranquility, however, the question of its origin must inevitably arise. Why did Rubens choose to paint a slice of the Low Countries bathed in cloud-breaking peace? The answer to that involves a political history longer than the United States has been a country, although the immediate agent of Rubens’ motivation is optimism of peace arising out of the Twelve Year Truce (1609) that had been signed between the Low Countries and Spain (Shawe-Taylor 140, Israel 405), the first major break in hostilities that had been thriving since the beginning of the Dutch Revolt in 1571 (Israel 169). It is this history between Spain and the Netherlands that “From Bruegel to Rubens” attempts to portray, both visually and audibly (personal audio guides are included in the admission price: £5 for adults and £4.50 for those over 60 and students).
Beginning with a background history of how the Netherlands came under the subjection of Spain and ending with a short exploration into the immediate aftermath of the final peace between these two countries (finally achieved around 1647 [Israel 610]), this exhibit highlights representative works depicting how this turbulent political climate shaped the work of Dutch Old Masters. Ranging from Massys’ portrait of Erasmus (1517) (whose humanist philosophy would extend beyond bending Dutch thought towards ideas of liberty and freedom to the likes of Locke), to Heemskerck’s The Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell (1565) (which, in all of its resplendent and jewel-toned color, could only emerge from a clearly Catholic culture), to Bruegel’s Massacre of the Innocents (1565-7) (which, behind superimposed animals, the forms of children being killed is clearly seen), down through the years through the works by Rubens already discussed, to David Teniers the Younger’s A Kermis on St. George’s Day (1649), which appears to depict the joyous celebrations that must have occurred all around the Low Countries as news of the Treaty of Münster (1648), ending the war between Spain and the Netherlands, spread (Shawe-Taylor 182).
If you do visit “From Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting”, be sure to arrive before 4:30 pm, which is when the Queen’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse closes its doors to further admissions for the day, although the gallery itself is locked at 5:00 pm.
Works Cited:
“The Fogg Art Museum”. . Accessed 11/02/08.
Isreal, Jonathan. The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness and Fall, 1477-1806. Oxford: Claredon, 1995.
Shaw-Taylor, Desmond, and Jennifer Scott. Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting. London: Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd., 2007.
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So yeah, it was pretty awesome! I'm actually going back to Edinburgh this Wednesday because we're touring the gallery of Dutch art in the National Gallery. We don't have to write a review of it, but I'm sure I'll write a few words. In fact, I'm going to spend the whole day in Edinburgh - had to buy my own bus ticket this time, so I figured that I would just catch one of the earliest buses there, and one of the last ones back to maximize exploration time. I'm also going to have lunch with Dr. Jarrells (my fav prof from USC) so I'm really looking forward to it!
In the past month I wrote three rather important papers - one of them on film noir, one of them on Old English, and the last was a critique of someone's senior thesis. So that was three weeks in a row of paper writing - one of my excuses for not saying more, nor having much to say on here. The week that happened to be between two of the papers was CU mission week, which was totally awesome. Lots of events to go to and hear reasonable defenses of Christianity, and then good dialogue with non-Christians as well. In the past month I've also been talking to Mormons with a friend of mind from church was initially engaged with them. Man, those have been some interesting talks...
A couple of Saturdays ago my friend Brian (an older gentleman from Dutch history) took me for a bit of a drive (interspersed with some walks) around some of the not-so-well known areas of Scotland. Saw some beautiful scenery, which I'm going to upload to facebook. Among the sights were Rob Roy's grave, and Killiecrankie, a place where a soldier lept over the river to escape from people chasing him. It's pretty amazing - he probably jumped 9 feet or more. Then we went out for a nice dinner (Brian paid for everything!) and I had some lovely Scottish cheese. Man, it was awesome. Brie, aged blue (or stilton, I'm not sure which it was), yellow cheddar, and smoked white cheddar. Yum. It was my dessert!
So I'm slowly figuring out my plans for April and May. I've decided to do a huge loop from Dundee down the east coast of Scotland into England, visit Leeds, then go up the West Coast of England back into Scotland, up the west coast of Scotland, and end up in the Orkney Islands. I'm going to borrow a sleeping bag and tent from some friends and just camp out wherever I find a place - which is virtually anywhere. Scotland has what's called "Right to Roam", which means that you can just walk anywhere that is free and open, like hills and mountains etc. You obviously have to be respectful for crops and such, but people can't just toss you off of "their land". One of the benefits of a semi-social state, I suppose...camping will save a ton of money that I would otherwise be spending at hostels - those are about 10-20 pounds a night, and with the extent of traveling that I'm planning on, would run up my galavanting costs to the hundreds of pounds. Not something I want / need to do. And besides, I've always wanted to live like a hobo - here's my chance! In two months I'll be sleeping under the stars in the Lake District invoking the spirit of Wordsworth as I try to write the next 'Tinturn Abbey'. Or not. (I'd like to think that I'm a bit more original than copying Wordsworth...)
So, there you go! Ta! | | |
| Life in Alba: The Past Two WeeksWow, it's been two weeks since I wrote a blog entry! Sorry guys! The obvious culprit for this problem is school, although I'm to blame too. I quite enjoy this whole business of only taking 3 classes a semester (which, by the native's standards, is 1 too many) and so I have been catching up on my sleep, Bible reading, C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, and participating with God's Sheep in more than just Sunday worship (which is really a treat). Tuesday night is Christian Union hall meeting, Wednesday night is either prayer and message at church or church fellowship groups (it alternates every other week), Friday night is Christian Union large group, and Saturday night is the International Cafe (which is sponsored by local churches)! And for the past few weeks I've been invited to people's houses after Sunday morning worship, and we "hang-out" until Sunday evening worship, which is totally awesome! Tomorrow I've actually been invited home with the Millers (I think that's their name), who are an older couple in my fellowship group who live outside of town on a farm that they own! I'm really excited about this (I've heard that Mrs. Miller is an excellent cook) and I'm going to take my camera with me because I find farms especially photogenic!
So today I finally got my application in for grad school at USC for a Masters of Library and Information Systems. I had basically gotten the most of it done these past few weeks in my spare time, but today I bit the bullet and wrote my "personal statement". I somehow doubt that they get many like mine (yes, this is what I submitted. It's a crudely fashioned bit of prose, I will readily admit, but it says what I want it to in a reasonably logical flow of thoughts. And the Library School isn't exactly known for denying people entrance into the MLIS program...*sighs*...so I'm not worried.):
~~~ I have always loved books: old ones, mainly, because of their look, feel, and smell. Handsome volumes bound in leather that give off faint odors of cinnamon and cigars are my personal favorites, although I’m not terribly particular. It was my mother who introduced me to books, or perhaps I should say, “inundated”. That is because when I was a small child she worked in the children’s department of the main branch of the local public library. Sometimes she would take me with her for part of her shift, and I would read for a few hours before dad picked me up on his way home from work. Ever since those days of yore I have loved books. What’s more, I’ve loved the libraries that house them, too. While young I thought of libraries as storerooms for adventures of the mind (because I could use a book to travel to the times of knights in armor, complete with sword, sans maiden in distress), but as I grew older they became wellsprings of knowledge where those seeking Truth could dip their cup and quietly – or, in the case of some libraries, not so quietly – drink. Wherever I have lived I’ve always sought out libraries, whether public or private, to become acquainted with them, and I’ve come to realize that each is as individual and unique as one person is to another. Every one offers a slightly different type of atmosphere and selection of knowledge.
That was how I thought about libraries when I started working on my undergraduate degree in English literature, which seemed like an appropriate major given that I loved reading, books, and libraries. Like most freshmen, however, I was rather uncertain as to what on earth I would actually do with my major. Two years of college passed and then in the fall of 2006 I transferred to the University of South Carolina for family reasons. Within a week I had discovered the Graniteville Room on the top floor of the Thomas Cooper Library. I started using the resources provided by the Rare Books and Special Collections Department whenever possible for both class projects and my own personal research. Early the next spring I had lunch with Dr. Patrick Scott to talk about career opportunities as a special collections librarian, how to became one, what the job itself was all about. And, frankly, I liked what I heard. It sounded perfect compared to other jobs that I had either considered or actually tried out. What’s more, Dr. Scott encouraged me to get in contact with Mrs. Elizabeth Sudduth. When I talked to her she told me that if I wanted practical experience as a special collections librarian that I should come work for her, which I was able to do starting in the summer of 2007. I have loved every minute of it.
However, it isn’t just all about the gloriously old and wonderful books. It is about the people who come in to use them. I have come to realize that an academic library is a sort of laboratory for the Humanities, and I find it a shame when Humanities students do not utilize their workshop for discovering knowledge. I am thus very happy when people – students, professors, the public – do come in and I have an opportunity to act as a sort of lab assistant and help them in their quest for knowledge. Of course, after working in the Rare Books Department now for a number of months I have come to appreciate the behind-the-scenes work that goes into compiling, sorting, and making information – knowledge – readily available to people. And after all this, I still love it.
From a philosophical standpoint I, as a confirmed academic, believe that Knowledge and Truth are the most important things in life. It is thus vitally important to provide knowledge to people, and that it what I wish to do in life. To a very great extent, therefore, it is that which compels me to be an academic librarian, preferably with an emphasis on rare books and special collections, partially because I love old books and partially because I want coming generations to have access to old books in a way that the digitization of media will never be able to provide. Thus, I expect the School of Library and Information Sciences to give me a thorough education on library science – with a special emphasis on academic libraries and special collections – so that I will be well equipped to provide knowledge to people in their quest for Truth. In fact, after I graduate with an MLIS it is my intention to pursue a Masters of Theology, an education whereby I would be well qualified to work in a seminary library – which I see as a type of special collections library – serving God by helping future ministers be as competent in knowledge of theology, which is in my opinion the most important type of Knowledge leading to the most important type of Truth, as possible. ~~~
There, that defines me and books and libraries. I was thinking about saying something to the effect that over the years I've lived so many places that I could be considered a connoisseur of libraries. My favorite of which I am quite happy to say that I have been able to introduce to people over the years: the Webb Memorial Library in Morehead City, North Carolina (http://www.geocities.com/webblib/). No joke, that is my most favorite library in the U.S. of A. If you're in the area when it happens to be open (biz hours are listed on the web-site) you HAVE to go in and just peek around. They even have a Secret Garden! And the absolute BEST classics room, complete with hard wood floors, comfy chairs, and golden sunlight streaming through the blinds (only on certain days - check www.weatherunderground.com for availability).
*munch munch* Yum, frozen pizza. Baked, of course.
So Wednesday my history class (Holland in the Age of Rembrandt) took a field trip to the Queen's Gallery at the Palace of Hollyroodhouse, the Queen's residence in Edinburgh (http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=37). The current exhibit, "From Bruegels to Rubens" (http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/b2r/), is rather relevant to the class, and I'm supposed to write a review of it, which I will post here sometime this next week. So more info on this visit following!
*munch munch*
Last Saturday International Cafe wasn't a cafe - it was a Burns Night Supper, in celebration of Robby Burns' birthday (which, for you unfortunate ignorants who weren't in Scotland last week) is a really huge celebration where the Scots celebrate their national poet, the majority of them by eating haggis and getting smashed, the rest of them by just eating haggis. I, incidentally, was among the latter group. Haggis, for as bad as it sounds, isn't so bad. Actually, the flavor sort of reminded me of beef jerky, which I happen to be a fan of. Before the haggis, however, a boy played the bag pipes for a bit, which was really cool. And then after the haggis a girl pulled out a fiddle and played a few tunes. Tim, one of my cafe friends (who happens to be a native, but he likes to hang with us international people. He's the same guy who said that he likes US accents, actually, if you've read that post) was friends with the girl and talking to her, so I went over. Well, I had told Tim a few weeks ago that I played fiddle - he remembered this and asked me to play a bit. Which I did. And then was promptly commanded to play some more. Actually, an informal ceilidh (Scottish dance) started up - the guy with the pipes came out and played a dance, and then I played fiddle for a dance (because the original fiddler wanted to dance!). I quite enjoyed myself, fully as much as the people on the dance floor.  (yes yes, most of you know that I do NOT dance - so you are correct in thinking that this was a perfect situation)
Well, time to finish my pizza, and then head off to cafe. Tonight is pancake night! Hooray! (if you've never had Scottish pancakes, I feel sorry for you. They are awesome, and served with jam - the last one's had rasberry jam, which is my favorite!)
Cheers! | | |
| Cell Phones: A Good ThingThere are very few times in my life that I have been truly appreciative of having a cell phone. Mostly I just think of it as a leash - not one held onto by any one person, but just something that keeps a guy in check. You carry a cell phone and you are its slave; you get calls, you make calls, you get text messages that implicitly suggest that they deserve immediate attention in the form of a reply. Perhaps the only time in my life that I have been really glad about having a cell phone is when I got into a wreck on the interstate because someone didn't tie down a ladder and it fell off their trailer and I ran over it going about 70 mph. Yeah, not so good because the guy behind me wasn't watching, so when I slammed on my brakes he didn't. You can see where this is all going.
Never before, however, was I aware that my cell phone could get me out of a potentially sticky situation with the authorities. With foreign authorities to boot. See, it is a little...unnerving, shall we say?...to come home from class and find a letter under your door from the British TV Licensing Officials informing you that you flat is going to get a visit from their National Enforcement Division so that they can see if you're operating a telly without a license. Furthermore, if you are, then they are going to find your sorry little butt for #1,000.
Fortunately, they provide a nice little phone number down at the bottom of the page for you to call "if you do not use TV receiving equipment at this address...so we can inform our officers on the ground." Of course, after you call that number (0870 850 5522, for those of you who might live in the UK) you don't get any more nasty letters - they just confirm what you said when they come visit. Apparently.
I didn't even do anything! Help! I was beginning to think that living in the UK wasn't so bad and now this! Thank goodness I could pick up my cell phone and call them right away!
[Since I don't have any TV receiving equipment (and don't use my laptop to watch live tv) I'm perfectly legal, just so you know.] | | |
| Sunday Morning (coming down)Church here was good - the message was on Col. 1:15-20 with special emphasis on the latter verses, and night church was on Rev. 7 - so apparently the preacher here is working on those two books. He references lots of other Scriptures though, so he takes "interpreting Scripture with Scripture" very seriously, also quoting famous theologians and some hymns (which I found interesting since they don't use hymns in worship - they do sing them at other times, it seems). A family in the church had college-aged people (or thereabouts - there was a few people a bit older) for lunch: potatoes, rice, salad, and chili! I found that quite amusing...it was quite good, although not very spicy. They had some hot peppers on the side that I had to take! You know me! So then we all hung out with those folks - I talked to one guy who is in research (exotic disease, which sounds interesting) for a good while (he gave me a ride to the family's house), and most of the other people played a board game (Risk! They all kept asking if we had it in the States - yes, I said, even though I wasn't playing. It is a game that has never interested me, for your information). There were also some younger kids there which was quite cute - two of them were little girls and two boys - the two girls were a team for the board game and then ended up sort of winning (couldn't actually finish the game because we had to go back to church). I ended up reading to one of them - Shel Silverstein! Apparently they really like "Where the Sidewalk Ends", and their mum and some of the college girls had been reading to her, but then her dad suggested that she ask me to read them since I've got the right accent! Then after church some of the college kids (well, ages 16-30, or so) have a thing called "Youth Fellowship", where they sing some more modern songs, read some scripture, and pray, so I went along with that, too. They're quite a nice bunch of folks here, and I've actually got Sunday-lunch invites booked for the next two weeks: the first with the preacher's family, and the other with an older couple who farm (do or did, I couldn't quite catch that bit). Apparently they have some cool old books, too, which sound interesting. I'll have to make sure to stay busy with school work on Saturdays so that I don't have to cram Sunday night or Monday morning for my Film Noir class that has lecture on Monday morning!
I also went to International Cafe on Saturday night, a program sponsored by several of the churches around here, but which actually meets in St. Pete's (where I'm attending). I sat at a table with a girl from Poland, another from England (southern), another from the Netherlands, a few more from Glasgow, a guy from China, and another guy from Scotland. Quite a nice group - we talked about music experience, where we've been, etc. Quite funny: the Scottish boy from International Cafe told me that he liked my accent, and that he's always liked the American accent. I had to tell him that all the girls back home love Australian, British, Irish, and Scottish accents, and that half of the female US exchange students to those countries go just to hear guys talk (which isn't far from the truth). He found that quite a laugh. I've gotten a few comments from guys about my beard, too - all saying that they like it. One of them even said I look Scottish, which I think is a bit of a stretch because I've hardly seen any other full beards, but I certainly appreciate the sentiment. Another thing I've found that's interesting is that the "dessert" foods over here, and even other sweets like candy and "biscuits" (cookies) are nowhere near as sweet as we in the States are used to. It's quite interesting, really - had a bit of a cake and some pudding, and neither were very sweet, but full of flavor, which made up for it. Maybe even made the desserts more interesting, actually. I'm interested to see how sweet some raspberry jam is that I bought the other day - I haven't opened it yet, but I probably will tomorrow.
I'm afraid that they don't know how to make coffee over here, though. And I still haven't found a way to make the coffee that I brought, so I was telling one fellow that if he invites me over I'll bring the coffee - so that he can taste the good stuff and so that I can get rid of it! Or, perhaps, I'll have to borrow a coffee-maker, since I can't seem to find one in the store. Not a drip one, nor a percolator. Quite annoying.
Well, that's all the news that's fit to print (actually, that's about all the news period, lol), so I'm going to leave it to that and go to bed! Lecture at 9 am, and I need to figure out where the building is! | | |
| Week One - fin.So, the first week of classes is over. I went to 2. Out of 3. Of course, if I had known where the other one was being held I would have gone to that, too. But since it seems that things don't properly get settled down around here until, say, week 3, class rooms and discussion group times are still being shifted around. And...I guess that many people over here don't actually buy the books for class because the "bookstore" is...well...about the size of my room. And while it constitutes a big room, I'm afraid to say that it would make a terribly small university bookshop. So the whole question of how I'm going to read for class on Tuesday is, right now, a bit of a mystery. Unfortunately, the library doesn't have that particular book in, so I'm going to have to do some quick thinking / purchasing. I briefly contemplated going to Edinburgh to buy used textbooks, but since the trip to Edinburgh will cost either 15 quid via bus or 22 quid via train, I don't think that I would really save any money since I am highly unlikely to find books discounted that much. I'm not really guaranteed to find the correct books at all, so I'm a bit apprehensive about that whole idea.
And, unfortunately, abebooks.co.uk isn't coming up with much.
I'm suddenly beginning to appreciate the used [text]book business in the US. Especially at a school as big as USC. I never thought the day would come that I'd say something like that, really.
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Well, the dirty deed is done. Most of it. Abebooks.co.uk has a brilliant used textbook section, so I've just placed a massive order. I guess I can't complain about the price: it's the least I've paid for books a semester in my entire college career, although I'm taking half the classes...sigh... Hopefully most of the books will come next week...hopefully. I'll get by with using the library till I get them, I suppose. Until then...what shall I do tomorrow? International Cafe down at St. Peter's is from 8-10 pm, and I was planning on going to that. Perhaps a walk? I really do need to not spend my whole day doing something other than school, unfortunately. There is reading to be done...
A walk it is. Oh, and look, we're only supposed to have scattered clouds. With my camera, then. Perhaps I'll try to reach the country a bit...
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