by Cedric | Jul 25, 2022 | Art, General
By the kindness of my good friend Colin, Charlotte and I managed to go to Oxford ostensibly to see Grace Jones at the Kite Festival. We did not want to spend the day in a field for the one artist we wanted to see, so we spent most of the day in Oxford. Among our wonderful and unforgettable dalliances, we visited the Ashmolian. Heading straight for the art after having seen a beautiful sculpture of Antinous and Hadrian (Memoirs of Hadrian was by Marguerite Yourcenar was one of the first books we shared), we happened upon a Pre-Raphaelite room. My interest in them was non-existent prior to meeting Charlotte but, as with many now sacrosanct parts of my life, they have brought me tremendous joy. The below represents the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Some historical context below:
Holman Hunt was among the crowd on London Bridge on the night of 10 March 1863, celebrating the marriage of Princess Alexandra of Denmark to the future Edward VII. He made sketches of it, but did not complete this painting until 16 May 1864, retouching it in 1866. He was fascinated by the contrasts of natural and artificial light and by the ‘Hogarthian humour’ of the crowds. He introduced portraits of several friends and acquaintances, including Thomas Combe in a top hat on the extreme left, arm in arm with the artist himself; and Mrs Combe with Millais’s father and brother and the artist Robert Braithwaite Martineau. The frame was designed by Hunt to combine emblems appropriate to a wedding and the arms of the royal families of Denmark and England. Art UK
Hunt, William Holman; London Bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales; The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
This painting transfixed me in Oxford. I stood in front of it for many minutes in awe. The colours and lighting is so vivid. The smoke, fire, clothing and even the cloth on the flags all add up to a splendid procession of movement and celebration. Charlotte is right to label this as a man’s painting. It has a brooding, dark and smokey atmosphere. In fact on second review, it appears almost haunting.
I am glad to have brought this painting to your attention. This is yet another of the innumerable examples of wondrous beautiful things which Charlotte and I enjoy together. Thank you, my dearest, as ever for having introduced me to Holman Hunt.
by Cedric | Jul 21, 2022 | Food and Drink, General
I should put out there that my darling Charlotte has the most excellent taste in restaurants, among other things, and this suggestion of hers was no exception. In a city suffused with bars serving food and tinnitus, actual restaurants are a rarity. This is one such place. Spacious, not too loud, with no silly music pounding in your ears, Topokki was a winner for me.
Beef Noodles
In keeping with her excellent taste, Charlotte ordered the star dish of the evening, the beef noodles. The beef was enhanced with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, pepper among other secret ingredients. The sum of this chewy beef with the fondant noodles and crunchy bean sprouts was hearty and scrumptious. I will most assuredly be ordering these on our next visit.
Bulgogi Ramen
My dish was good but did not reach the snow capped summit heights of Charlotte’s. This also contained beef, but in the bulgogi style, which is a gui (grilled dish) made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. Sirloin, rib-eye and brisket are used for this dish. I loved this in the ramen. There were pieces of tofu floating around along with what the restaurant describes as fried egg. Regrettably I am not as good a food critic as I appear so I was unable to catalogue the swirling member of my stew, below. Overall, however, this was a potent and completely flavourful dish which quite floored me.
Our drinks consisted of crushed pear juice (very specific 238ml) and Korean citron tea. The latter was exactly the kind of drink I love. I have been a bit lemon obsessed over the last few months. This drink is the most delicious, hearty, warm, citrusy sweet drink. It is the sort of beverage which warms the soul.
Overall I must say this is one of the better economic restaurants I have visited in Birmingham. I am amazed at the consistency in Charlotte’s choices and look forward to her next pick.
by Charlotte Evans | Jul 17, 2022 | Art, General
On the first weekend in May, Cedric, Nick and I visited The Wallace Collection to round off a
happy weekend in London. Like many museums in London, The Wallace Collection is free and
very much worth a visit. Once again, I had the delight of finally seeing in person many paintings
I had admired for years, although I was sad that Fragonard’s playful rococo masterpiece Les
hasards heureux de l’escarpolette, commonly known in English as The Swing, was in a separate
exhibition at the time of our visit. The sumptuous collection of paintings, sculptures, exquisite
porcelain and much more is set in the former townhouse of the Seymour family, and the rooms
are just as much art as the works held within them.
Les hasards heureux de l’escarpolette, Jean-Honoré Fragonard
One of the paintings that stood out to me on our visit to The Wallace Collection was an
enormous and striking depiction of Paolo and Francesca observed by Dante and Virgil, taken
from Dante’s Inferno. The painter, Ary Scheffer, painted several versions of the picture with
various titles, and the one held in The Wallace Collection is simply called Francesca da Rimini.
I had wanted to see this painting for years, having grown fond of Dante during my two years of
Italian at university. It depicts Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta, the lovers who end up
in the second circle of Hell as Dante imagines it in his Inferno. This second out of nine circles is
reserved for the lustful. Francesca, both in real life and in Dante’s Inferno, was married to
Giovanni Malatesta but had an illicit relationship with his younger brother, Paolo. Giovanni was
filled with rage on discovering them in flagrante delicto and murdered them both. Without the
opportunity to go to confession before dying, they are cut off from God for eternity.
Paolo and Francesca – Ary Scheffer
Dante’s couple has inspired many other works of art, and artists have chosen different moments
in Paolo and Francesca’s affair. Many paintings show their first wild abandon to passion while
reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere:
‘We were reading one day for fun
How Lancelot was seized by love:
we were alone, but didn’t suspect.
Several times the book made us pale,
making us look in each other’s eyes,
But only once it became too much.
When we read of that adorable smile
And how the great lover kisses it,
This man, who’ll always be by me,
He kissed my mouth all quivering.
Both book and author were panders:
we didn’t read any more that day.’ (Inferno, V.III, ll. 127-138)
Scheffer, instead, has chosen the moment that Virgil shows Dante what has become of Paolo and
Francesca. Dante and his poet guide can be seen on the right of Scheffer’s painting, lingering in
the shadowy background. The chiaroscuro in the painting is ironic, given the moral overtones of
the poem and painting; Paolo and Francesca are milky white in contrast to the darkness of the
background. Francesca’s mouth is slack with sorrow, Paolo swoons as Francesca clings to him,
and they both bear stab wounds. Tangled in bedsheets, they are buffeted about by the wind, just
as they allowed themselves to be swept up by lust during their earthly lives; Dante describes
them as ‘like doves summoned by desire, [who] sweep across the sky on impulse, gliding
towards their happy nest’ (ll. 82-84).
I do not think the morality behind this painting’s story is the reason for my liking it and, indeed,
suggesting it. Its sensuality is infused with a delicate pathos, and its scale is impressive, too, like
the painting of Isabella and the Pot of Basil I discussed in a previous post. Scheffer’s painting
reminded me of my love of Dante, whose writing I have neglected for several years now. I highly
recommend London’s Wallace Collection, one of many (free!) gems in our great sprawling
capital, as I also recommend Dante’s Divine Comedy. Don’t be intimidated by its status as a
towering epic; Professor Steve Ellis’ translation (used in this post).
by Cedric | Jul 13, 2022 | General, Tunes
Three Favourites are here again. See below three albums covers that have tickled me rather as the month has progressed.
Heaven and Hell – Black Sabbath (1980)
There has been a lot of religious art on this blog recently but sometimes it pays to be slightly irreverent. The idea of three angels taking a break from finishing my rosaries when I fall asleep praying, having a fag, is very funny to me. I had not noticed them playing cards before! One of the things which caught my eye on this album was the angels’ shoes. Most of the art on this blog features angels without shoes. What an interesting feature.
Music From the Penguin Cafe – The Penguin Orchestra (1976)
This album was introduced to me by my father. I had forgotten about until Nick and I were flicking through the 1001 albums You Must Hear Before You Die book. This is an excellent album in its own right and contains some superb artwork. HAve a look and be disturbed and amazed in equal measure.
Elvis Presley – self titled – 1956
The picture of the king of rock, early in his career, riffing and having a great time is is very touching. This album cover shows the king in his prime, rocking out. It has made me very happy at the time of writing. Charlotte and I bonded in the beginning of our relationship having dinner at her apartment listening to Elvis’ 1960 album, which I cannot recommend enough.
Well there you have it. Tune in next month for the next covers.
by Cedric | Jul 9, 2022 | Art, General
Millais was one of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood’s founding fathers. Ophelia is his most famous painting. Through Charlotte, I have come to love the Pre Raphs’ paintings, style and unique voice. The below is no exception. I was particularly moved by the below when I was doing research into the brotherhood for a series of upcoming posts.
Later on in life, Millais turned more towards landscape painting, creating breathtakingly beautiful artworks depicting the Scottish scenery. One such painting is Dew-Drenched Furze of 1889-1890, which is a picturesque view of the woods in Perthshire. While this dense landscape of muted greens and golden, soft yellows, devoid of any figures, is very detailed, there is an almost fogginess to it, giving it a slight abstract feel – breaking away from his usual clear, crisp artworks. Culture Trip
There are many reasons why I love this painting. The rendering is exquisite. The lighting and the way it interacts with the dew on the furze has an inherently magical quality. The depth of the painting is also quite impressive. The tall furze at the front, with the brambles all covered in morning dew, topped by a serene scene and a deep wood. The light coming through in the central part is hopeful. The height of the trees and their variety is also lovely and contributes to an overall air of peace.
One of the reasons I love this painting is that it reminded me of a scene from my last trip to France with Charlotte. At the time of writing we have planned our next trip and I can only hope it contains the same magic as our first trip. The below is a photograph my mother took of a clearing near the house, where we went on a walk one day.
Suffice to say, there will be more Millais magic to come!
by Cedric | Jul 4, 2022 | General, Miscellaneous
Martin of Tours, also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours in 371 AD. He has been heralded as the patron saint of the Third Republic of France. The basilica itself was consecrated some 100 years after his appointment, in 471 AD. It began as a monastery under the Abbot of Saint Martin, then becoming a collegiate church under the control of cannons. Regrettably this initial iteration of the church was destroyed during the revolution, but the present church was built between 1886 and 1924 by French architect Victor Laloux. The style in which it is built is neo-Byzantine.
Charlotte tells me that Dominicans are referred to as ‘Dominicanes’ ie: God’s dogs / hounds of the Lord. I have asked her whether I may call myself a Rosary Hound and I think she has given her assent. In any case, being so inclined to pray the rosary, I was of course drawn to the beautiful Mary statue in the back left corner of the basilica. You can see it above. Charlotte and I prayed for a few minutes here before descending into the tomb of St Martin.
The tomb was a restful place, beautifully adorned with marble and a small sepulchre, which I found quite exquisite. Charlotte noted how peaceful the tomb was. What is missing from this photograph is the beautiful stone arches surrounding the tomb itself. The Crypt was beautiful. French families and patrons of the church have paid to have their names put on bricks around the sepulchre. I do not know how I feel about this practice. There was something in the Bible about a den of thieves but one must not be too literal.
I highly recommend you visit this church if you have the time. Tours is a beautiful city, clean and consistent. The basilica was one of our highlights of the trip.
