Feeling Human Again

[poliphilo]

You know what? I think I feel human again. And to reinforce this feeling, it's a glorious summer's day, sunny and cloudless. With the exercise of a little willpower, I hope to get more than a little housework done.

Why, in words of Arabic origin, is "q" allowed to appear without the "u" that always accompanies it in English? I've been writing "burqua", but I notice most of you have it as "burqa".  An alternative- justified by the practice of The Times, no less- is to go for a "k"- as in "burka". I think I prefer it. The "u"less "q" is  unEnglish and my gorge rises at it. "Burka" still looks foreign, but less rule-slightingly so. I think I'll adopt it in future. Likewise I mean- if I can be bothered to remember this resolution- to refer to that book as "the Koran".

BBC 4 has a rather good series running about The PreRaphaelites- those English art revolutionaries who have always been immensely popular with the public but viewed a little sniffily by the sort of people who write histories of art. Last night, in episode 2, a strong case was made for regarding Ford Madox Brown as the first painter- anywhere, and a decade ahead of the French Impressionists- to paint human flesh in direct, out-doorsy sunlight. The painting in which he broke through the barrier has the unfortunate title (which has surely held it back) of "The Pretty Baa-Lambs".  There's an image of it- merely adequate, but conveying some idea of the vibrancy of Brown's colour- here. I think it's true to say, as they were saying last night, that it's quite unlike anything that had been done before in European art.

Comments

[sculptruth.livejournal.com]

Ah! If only the BBC would let me watch this from their site (not being in the UK)!

Do you think the art world turns their nose at the PreRaphaelites? I haven't experienced that. Maybe individuals or some institutions do but I can't imagine that the extraordinary painting style and subject matter can be ignored. The mythology of the PreRaphaelites along with the beauty of the work is a perfect combination! I remember my art history professors (in NY) were in love with them.

I imagine given that contemporary art is so prevalent that there are some who feel they can ignore art history, but don't you think they're inseparable? I know I can't remove my work from its predecessors. And there's no way we would have arrived at abstraction without Caspar David Friedrich, or Cubism without El Greco. Those who snub history are without solid foundation, and sadly mistaken!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I may be reflecting the prejudices of an earlier generation. I grew up in the mid 20th century- at a time when the great Victorian artists were largely derided- though on the point of being rediscovered by the hippies (including me).

I remember going into a Bond St gallery c.1970 and seeing a major painting by Lord Leighton on sale for under £1,000. If I'd had the nerve to borrow the money and buy it I'd now be a millionaire.

I think there's still a sense- within academe- that the pre-Raphaelites stand a little aside from the mainstream of modern art history (which is very francocentric). To claim- as this BBC show does- that modern plein-air landscape painting began not with Monet, but with Millais and Ford Madox Brown, is still rather a daring, controversial and counter-intuitive thing to do.

I agree with you about art history. It's one of my passions.