word of the day:: arabesque

arabesque:

[ar-uh-besk]

–noun

1.  Fine Arts . a sinuous, spiraling, undulating, or serpentine line or linear motif.

2. a pose in ballet in which the dancer stands on one leg with one arm extended in front and the other leg and arm extended behind.

3. a short, fanciful musical piece, typically for piano.

4. any ornament or ornamental object, as a rug or mosaic, inwhich flowers, foliage, fruits, vases, animals, and figures are represented in a fancifully combined pattern.

-adjective

5. decorated with or characterized by arabesques: arabesque design.

  

Origin:

1605–15;  < F < It arabesco  ornament in Islamic style, lit.,Arabian, equiv. to arab ( o ) arab  + -esco -esque

"What is line? It is life. A line must live at each point along its course in such a way that the artist's presence makes itself felt above that of the model.... With the writer, line takes precedence over form and content. It runs through the words he assembles. It strikes a continuous note unperceived by ear or eye. It is, in a way, the soul's style, and if the line ceases to have a life of its own, if it only describes an arabesque, the soul is missing and the writing dies.. "

:: Jean Cocteau ::

* Definition from www.dictionary.com

from Leonardo

"A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light."

~ Leonardo da Vinci ~

review :: The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus

Sarah Dunant

The Birth of Venus takes place in 15th-century Florence and begins just at the fall of the Medici reign of power. This novel is not magnificently-written and there are some character flaws. I mostly enjoyed the story because of the time period and the profusion of art history.

The book has nothing to do with the Botticelli painting for which it is named--although it is mentioned in the story. Rather, it is metaphorical as the story follows the coming-of-age of a14-year-old Alessandra Cecchi during a time of great unrest and transformation in the lavish city.

I appreciated the blending of historical characters and event with the fictional characters and plot created by Dunant. The appearances of such recognizable people as Lorenzo de Medici,  Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo are subtle and appropriate.

There are several surprise turning points throughout that keep the plot unpredictable and it's not overwhelmingly feministic--which I was wary of once I started getting to know Alessandra's character. Overall, this was a satisfying read, and I would recommend it for people who are interested in the time period and enjoy art history.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

It is Dr. Seuss' birthday today! I really like Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel) for several different reasons:

1. Once upon a time, I took a personality test in high school. When I got my results, a list of famous people who share the same personality type was given. Guess who was on the list?

2. Dr. Seuss lived in San Diego for twenty-some years with his wife.

3. I am convinced that the unique SoCal flora significantly influenced the artwork for his books. Seriously. Go Google "torrey pine" and check out some images. Does it not resemble a Seussical creation?

4. Poetic meter and rhyming words and un-words.

5. The Cat in the Hat

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Currently reading :: The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus

Sarah Dunant

 

Summary: Alessandra Cecchi is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back from northern Europe to decorate the chapel walls in the family's Florence palazzo. A child of the Renaissance with a precocious mind and a talent for drawing, Alessandra is intoxicated by the artist's abilities. But Alessandra's parents have made plans for their daughter, and she is soon married off to a wealthy, much older man. Meanwhile, the reign of the Medicis, with their love of luxury, learning, and dazzling art, is being threatened by the hellfire preaching and increasing brutality of the fundamentalist monk Savonarola and his reactionary followers. As the city shudders with violence and change, Alessandra must find her own way--and finally explore the passions she's kept so long at bay.

Summary from the book jacket.

I picked up this novel from a friend who was giving away books before a big move. I am fascinated with Renaissance Italy, especially Florence and the time of the Medicis! I was excited to begin reading this and, in fact, am already halfway through! Already there have been some surprises, and I am loving the quantity of art history included. Very enjoyable thus far, and I am looking forward to discovering how the tale plays out.

from C. S.

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring a twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."

~ C. S. Lewis ~

from André

"Art begins with resistance -- at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor."

~ André Gide~

from Ralph

"In art the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~