The Year Without a Summer

J M W Turner 'Chichester Canal' c.1828

Artists took up their brushes after the eruption of Mt Tambora in 1815 as the high levels of ash in the atmosphere caused spectacular sunsets.  The yellow haze was the prime feature in many of Turner's paintings following the eruption.

A similar phenomenon was seen after Krakatoa erupted in 1883.  William Ashcroft painted several and made thousands of coloured sketches of the red sunsets around the world after the explosion.

William Ashcroft 'On the Banks of the River Thames' 1883

The pall of darkness inspired poet Lord Byron to write 'Darkness' the year after Tambora.  Below is an excerpt from the poem.  The writing of this poem also occurred only months after the ending of his marriage.

I had a dream, which was not all a dream.

The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars

did wander darkling in the eternal space,

rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth

swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;

Morn came and went - and came, and brought no day,

And men forgot their passions in the dread

of this their desolation; and all hearts

were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light...

LISTENING TO THE QIN

I've recently discovered the ancient Chinese musical instrument, the Guqin and a lovely talented lady, Wang Fei. Wang Fei expertly plays and teaches the 'qin' and is founder and director of the North American Guqin Association (NAGA) and council member of the China Guqin Committee. She is a published writer and an international award winning digital artist.

The Guqin (pronounced ku-ch'in "ancient stringed instrument") is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It has been played since ancient times and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote "a gentleman does not part with his qin or se without good reason," as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. It is sometimes referred to by the Chinese as "the father of Chinese music" or "the instrument of the sages".

There is much symbology surrounding the instrument. For example, it measures 3'6.5" (Chinese feet and inches), to symbolise the 365 days of the year; the upper surface is rounded, representing the sky, the bottom is flat and represents the earth.

Rock carving of a bodhisattva playing a guqin,

found in Shanxi, Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534)

Musee Guimet, Paris

Guqin music has been enlisted as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.

Confucius was a master of this instrument. For thousands of years, Guqin has been regarded as a very important element for education, for the purpose of enriching the heart and elevating human spirit. However, being considered as a high-class art form it has never been very popular throughout history.

In Imperial China, a well educated scholar was expected to be skilled in four arts:

Qin (the guqin)

Qi (the game of Go)

Shu (calligraphy)

Hua (painting)

The U.S. spaceship "Voyager" was launched in 1977, a gold CD was placed on board to introduce the music of our planet to the rest of the universe. The guqin piece "Flowing Water" was included as one representative of the world's music.

STATUES AROUND TOWN

This statue of Princess Alexandra (later Queen of King Edward V111), is the work of English sculptor Charles Somers and is made of Sicilian marble. It was presented to the National Gallery of Victoria by Sir W. J. Clarke Bart in 1878, together with three other statues by the same artist, representing Queen Victoria. It was later offered and accepted by the Shire of Alexandra in 1939 where it stood in several locations in Perkins Street and later refurbished and moved to its present location in 1993. The official unveiling occurred on 3rd September 1994, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Shire of Alexandra.

This sculpture, in my town, was by local artist and sculptor, Bruno Torfs, whose beautiful garden in Marysville was destroyed by the recent bushfire. Get an update of the restoration here and click on Rebuilding. Our town attracts many recreational fisher persons as it has the weir, the pondages and there are several rivers and streams nearby, so this statue is quite apt.

The sculpture following is of a woodcutter, also created by Bruno. It stands outside the Information Centre in Alexandra, a neighbouring town. The town is surrounded by eucalypt and mountain ash forests and timber mills.

Old Sarum & Pillars of The Earth

This week we watched a fantastic episode of the English "Time Team" at Salisbury Cathedral. The Team was there in October 2008 and were digging right at the footings of the Cathedral.

'The Team opened a trench right next to the Cathedral to uncover the Beauchamp Chapel, built for one of Salisbury's most colourful Bishops, Richard Beauchamp but demolished hundreds of years ago. A trench was also opened up to explore the site north of the Cathedral where the original Bell Tower and spire once stood, also now long since disappeared.

Following their usual action-packed three day schedule the team digging the Beauchamp Chapel trench uncovered a mystery skeleton, as well as other finds which help shed light on the Cathedral in Beauchamp's time and the actions of subsequent generations. There was disappointment though as the Bishop's own tomb was discovered and found to be empty - robbed centuries ago with the Bishop's bones probably moved to the Cathedral's main Nave in 1789.' - Salisbury Cathedral.org.uk

Time Team at Salisbury Cathedral

About twenty years ago I borrowed a book, "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. I really became engrossed in this historical novel about Old Sarum, the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, the building of a cathedral, the beginning of Gothic architecture, the loves, the losses.

Ken Follett says: 'When I started writing, back in the early Seventies, I found I had no vocabulary for describing buildings. I read a couple of books on architecture and developed an interest in cathedrals. I became a bit of a train spotter on the subject. I would go to a town, like Lincoln or Winchester, check into a hotel and spend a couple of days looking around the cathedral and learning about it. Before too long, it occurred to me to channel this enthusiasm into a novel.'

In November 2007 The Pillars of the Earth was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as the 60th Oprah's Book Club selection and is #1 on the The New York Times trade paperback list and #8 on its mass market paperback list (9th December 2008).

The Pillars of the Earth is one of the '101 Books to Read Before You Die' chosen by patrons of Exclusive Books - it is 27th on the list and is one of the top 100 books chosen by British readers.

Salisbury Cathedral From the Meadows - John Constable, 1831

The landscape around Salisbury was captured by the artist John Constable in several paintings.

I now have my own copy of Pillars and look forward to reading it again.

SIREN PAINTER

British Museum London (eponymous vase c.480-470BC)

Siren painter is the nickname of an ancient Greek artist who decorated but did not sign Attic red-figured vases. His real name is unknown, as are the date of his birth and death.

Following to common scholar's practice, this artist's name was derived from the subject of one of his artworks, a red-figured stamnos which illustrates a scene from Homer's Odyssey (XII, 39): Odysseus is tied to the mast of his ship when he is passing along the island of the Sirens, dangerous bird-women. The Siren painter was presumably working in Athens in the years 480-470BC. Wikipedia

Some of his preserved vases are on public display at The British Museum and The Louvre, Paris.

All of the above was prompted by Grace's description of John William Waterhouse's painting, Miranda, The Tempest, 1916. I keep learning something every day.

Ulysses & The Sirens - John William Waterhouse 1891

READING

This is just a bit of trivia, really. For a long time I've loved pictures of people reading. It all started many years ago with the one above, which is one of many I have on a wall in my sitting room. Below is a shot of that wall with me bottom left and my late mother-in-law, Kitty, bottom right, both reading.

Not a very good pic but you get the picture. There is also one by Goya, called 'Young Women' -

The next two by Vermeer -

I love them all.

THE BARD?

That is the question posed by the unveiling of a portrait of a dark-eyed man in Elizabethan finery in central London on March 9th. Experts say it is likely the only portrait of William Shakespeare painted in his lifetime.

Professor Stanley Wells, chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and one of the leading experts on Shakespeare studies, poses next to the newly discovered portrait. The portrait has belonged to one family for centuries but was not recognized as a portrait of Shakespeare until recently. There are very few likenesses of Shakespeare, who died in 1616. (AP)

Archaeologists have also uncovered the foundations of the theatre in Hackney where Shakespeare first wrote and performed before moving to The Globe.

Shakespeare wrote and performed at the Hackney site from 1594-7 and the Tower Theatre Company wants to recreate it.

DANTE & ELIZABETH

Beata Beatrix by Rossetti - Tate Gallery London

Silent Noon

Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass,

The finger-points look through like rosy blooms;

Your eyes smile peace. The pasture gleams and glooms

'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass.

All round our nest, far as the eye can pass,

Are golden kingcup-fields with silver edge

Where the cow-parsley skirts the hawthorn-hedge.

'Tis visible silence, still as the hour-glass.

Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragon-fly

Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky;

So this wing'd hour is dropt to us from above.

Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower,

This close-companion'd inarticulate hour

When twofold silence was the song of love.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

I came across the above painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, went to find out more about him and stumbled upon a tragic love story. Most of his early paintings of women are portraits of his wife, Elizabeth, an artists' model. He ultimately forbade her to model for other Pre-Raphaelite artists. Beata Beatrix, which portrays a praying Beatrice (Beatrice Portinari, Dante Alighieri's lifelong love), was painted one year after Elizabeth's death. Dante Alighieri's poetry was translated by Rossetti and included in his book, 'The Early Italian Poets', published in 1861.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828-1882

Rossetti's early poetry and the only copy, was interred with Elizabeth's body, later exhumed and published in 'Poems by D.G. Rosetti'.

There is so much more to read about Dante Rosetti and Elizabeth Siddal, with thanks to Wikipedia and their references and at this link.

OLLEY

MARGARET HANNAH OLLEY, AC, 1923 - 2011

I'd always known about Margaret Olley but it was when watching an ABC documentary on this intriguing lady several years ago that my interest peaked, not only in admiration of her intimate interiors and colourful still life oils but astonishment at the revelations of her extraordinary life. She was interviewed in her lounge room, which looked like an antique shop, treasures covering every surface, barely room to move. She is one of the country's most generous benefactors to public art galleries.

Margaret is a 'national living treasure'; on June 12 2006 in the Queen's Birthday honours list, she was awarded Australia's highest civilian honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia, for her commitment to art and philanthropy. On July 13 2006 she donated more works to the Art Gallery of New South Wales; her donations to date include more than 130 works worth $7 million (Wikipedia).

Marigolds & Fruit

The Margaret Olley Life's Journey exhibition is at the University of Queensland Art Museum until April 19, then it travels to the SH Ervin Gallery in Sydney from May 1 until June 21 and, finally, it's at the Newcastle Regional Art Gallery from August 15 until October 25.

Poppies & Checked Cloth

Listen here to a podcast of a radio interview with Margaret on ABC Radio National's 'Artworks' program.

Meg Stewart, daughter of Sydney painter Margaret Coen, has published a biography of Margaret Olley entitled 'Far from a Still Life' - link.

VERMEER

Johannes Vermeer, 1632-1675, is one of my favourite artists. He, along with William Turner, were masters in the use of light in their works.

Right: Girl with A Pearl Earring

Below is a print of The Music Lesson, which I have hanging over my piano.

CHLOE

A young Parisian artist's model named Marie was immortalised by Jules Joseph Lefebvre (leferb) as Chloe. Little is known of her, except she was approximately 19 years of age at the time of painting. Roughly two years later, Marie, after throwing a party for friends, boiled a soup of poisonous matches - drank the concoction and died. The reason for her suicide is thought to be unrequited love.

In her time at Young and Jackson Hotel (Melbourne Australia), Chloe has witnessed much history including World Wars and Depressions. She has become known as the "Queen of the Bar Room Wall", the mistress of the Soldiers and the Naked Nymphe. For many young men Chloe became the only naked woman they ever witnessed on route to the War. She has captured the hearts of many men - even resulting in damaging relationships due to the jealous nature of some women. Chloe still evokes passionate feelings from people of all walks of life. Such innocence, tragedy and beauty. She remains aloof, waiting, with a twist of her head, for the call of her lover from afar. Today she is well loved by both women and men.

Source: www.youngandjacksons.com.au/chloe