Posts Tagged ‘Inspiration’
water beneath the bridge
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged beauty, colors, flowing, Inspiration, landscape, nature, Photography, reflections, sunlight, water on November 18, 2015| 1 Comment »
mucha’s slav epic
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged Alphonse Mucha, art, beauty, colors, czech republic, Inspiration, painting, Photography, prague, Slavic history, storytelling, travel, world history on November 17, 2015| 6 Comments »
As far as I know, I have no Slavic blood in me but I do not think you need to be of Slavic heritage in order to appreciate the beauty and majesty of Alphonse Mucha’s Slav Epic anymore than you need to be of African American heritage to appreciate the Singing Windows at Tuskegee.
They both employ, in vastly different ways, visual storytelling to convey the histories of peoples and their journeys from subjugation to celebration, from despair to hope. As described on the Mucha Foundation website: “The Slav Epic (Slovanská epopej) is a series of twenty monumental canvases (the largest measuring over 6 by 8 metres) depicting the history of the Slav people and civilisation. Mucha conceived it as a monument for all the Slavonic peoples …
… The idea of the work was formed in 1899, while Mucha was working on the design for the interior of the Pavilion of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which had been commissioned by the Austro-Hungarian government for the Paris Exhibition of 1900.
In preparation for the assignment he travelled widely through the Balkans, researching their history and customs as well as observing the lives of the Southern Slavs in the regions that had been annexed by Austria-Hungary two decades earlier. From this experience sprang the inspiration for a new project – the creation of ‘an epic for all the Slavonic peoples’ that would portray the ‘joys and sorrows’ of his own nation and those of all the other Slavs. ”
On that website you will find a picture of all 20 paintings, a description of the stories depicted in each painting, and “related objects” which include photographs of Mucha at work on particular canvases, working with models, etc.
I read several reviews that said do not go out of your way to see this exhibit. I would say, if you have the opportunity to visit Prague, do all that you can to go out of your way to view this exhibit. What struck me? The scale of this creation, the source of the inspiration, the vision of the artist and the dedication to completion. And of course the use of color and the expression of light.
It took Mucha approximately five years to shop his idea around and find a benefactor and then over a dozen years to produce his epic even as he produced all of the other art — the posters, the advertisements, murals, etc. — which are considered his definitive works.
Through December 2016 the exhibit can be found at the Trade Fair Palace in the City of Prague (http://www.ngprague.cz/en/exposition-detail/alfons-mucha-the-slav-epic/) and the online exhibit can be found on the Mucha Foundation website (http://www.muchafoundation.org/gallery/themes/theme/slav-epic).
Sources & Additional Readings
http://www.muchafoundation.org/gallery/themes/theme/slav-epic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slav_Epic
1925 Article about the Epic as a Work in Progress
a return to st. vitus for mucha
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged alphonse much, architecture, art, beauty, churches, colors, czech republic, faith, Inspiration, Photography, prague, religion, st. vitus cathedral, stained glass windows, travel on November 14, 2015| 2 Comments »
It was a bit of a race against time. A storm was rolling in. So though we knew we had a few hours before the sun was due to set we didn’t have that great a window of time for light. We raced, as fast as the trolley would take us and then putting foot to pavement, from the Mucha Foundation back to Prague Castle and the St. Vitus Cathedral. Why? Because at the Mucha Foundation we’d seen a drawing of a stained glass window that Mucha had designed for the St. Vitus Cathedral but he had passed away before seeing it executed. But then while watching a brief foundation video on Mucha we learned that a company had funded the execution of the window and it was in the cathedral. We made it back to the cathedral in time to purchase a ticket and track down the window. And what a sight it was.
And now there is a race against time to catch a flight home and so I will simply leave you with a few images and a few links. Read more about this amazing artist here: http://www.mucha.cz/index.phtml?S=biog&Lang=EN and http://www.muchafoundation.org/
More to share when I return to the States. Until then, be well.
and again the birds …
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, birds, bridges, czech republic, Inspiration, monuments, nature, Photography, prague, statues, travel, urban landscape on November 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »
… these along the famed Charles Bridge.
You can learn a bit more about the Charles Bridge here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bridge.
There were so many people massed about the statues along the Charles Bridge, photographing the statues and the birds, that I began to train my camera into the surrounding landscape.
And then in quiet spots I’d train my camera on the statues once more.
It must be one of the most photographed and painted places in the world. Even if you aren’t able to visit yourself, there are many beautiful images out there to be viewed in books and online. Enjoy.
st. vitus cathedral in prague
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged architecture, art, beauty, churches, colors, culture, czech republic, faith, Inspiration, Photography, prague, religion, st. vitus cathedral, stained glass windows, travel on November 13, 2015| 3 Comments »
Yes, I have sought out stained glass in Prague and what beauty there is to be found like these images from the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle.
Only a quick glimpse this trip …
… I hope to visit again for a longer period of time. The windows were breathtaking as was the light they cast upon the stone.
Learn more about this cherished structure here: https://www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/guidepost-for-visitors/st-vitus-cathedral.shtml
and the little bird in merrion square
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged birds, colors, dublin, Inspiration, ireland, nature, ornithology, Photography, travel on November 11, 2015| 4 Comments »
james joyce in st. stephen’s green
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged dublin, Inspiration, ireland, james joyce, monuments, Photography, statues, travel, writers on November 11, 2015| 3 Comments »
missing dionysus
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged artwork, dublin, Inspiration, ireland, memorials, Merrion Square, Oscar Wilde, Photography, travel on November 10, 2015| 2 Comments »
I thought I was pretty observant but I missed Dionysus’s torso as I meandered about the Oscar Wilde Memorial in Merrion Square. The complete memorial includes three pieces: “the stone sculpture of Oscar Wilde, a pillar with a bronze of his pregnant wife and a pillar with a bronze male torso.” Actually, I think I noticed a torso but somehow it didn’t grab me the way Mr. Wilde did.
The sculpture was designed by Irish sculptor Danny Osborne. As described on the Dublin City Council website, “Osborne used complementary polished colour stones and varying textures to create this striking lifelike pose of the writer sitting atop a 35-tonne boulder of white quartz from the Wicklow mountains. He wanted to depict Wilde’s love of beautiful objects, including stones, as well as his colourful personality. … Wilde is wearing a green smoking jacket with a pink collar, long trousers and shiny black shoes, with an unusual two-sided expression on his face, depicting both joy and sadness. Wilde’s shiny green jacket is made from nephrite jade, sourced in Canada. The pink collar is made of a rare semi precious stone called thulite, brought here from central Norway. Wilde’s head and hands are carved from Guatemalan jade. His trousers are made from larvikite – a crystalline stone from Norway, and his shiny shoes are black granite.”
Learn more, in the artist’s own words, in the video on the following page: http://www.dublincity.ie/DublinArtInParks/English
And Wikipedia has a great page about Oscar Wilde: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde
saint saviour’s dominican priory
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged architecture, art, churches, colors, dublin, faith, Inspiration, ireland, Photography, religion, travel on November 10, 2015| 3 Comments »
As the previous post suggests, yes, I am on the road for a bit beginning with a return to Dublin, Ireland! A quick trip for work and pleasure, and it was certainly a pleasure to chance upon the Saint Saviour’s Dominican Priory. I had such a short window of time to photograph that I mostly focused my attention on a few windows. These are details from one window.
Here are details from a second.
Here is the third …
Little literature could I find at the time on the church’s architecture or artwork but the stories can be discerned from the glass.
I found the building by getting lost, but if you are seeking it out, it is located at 9-11 Upper Dorset Street, Dublin 1. Learn more about the priory via the following link: http://www.saintsavioursdublin.ie/
in the waters of st. stephen’s green
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged colors, dublin, Inspiration, ireland, nature, Photography, st. stephen's green, travel, urban landscape, water on November 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Words + Images 