Nanette is at its core a discourse on comedy. That is not to say it is an academic manual, but more a careful dissection of the art form. Beginning as a traditional comedy show, Hannah Gadsby tells tale of her youth as a queer person in Tasmania, a country where homosexuality was illegal until 1997. Even then, the decriminalising only passed the Tasmania Legislative Council by one vote. Gadsby jokes that this is far too recent. She is right. As the show wears on, we are privy to Gadsby’s signature dry self depreciation which made her a star in Australia. Tales of her moving to more progressive Australia, the trials of being Lesbian but not ‘brightly feathered’ (as Jim Morrison put it) and some of the more disquieting consequences of being queer.
It was on a visit to her sister in Adelaide in 2006 when Gadsby entered Raw Comedy in 2006, progressing through the heats to win the national prize. As the winner, she was sent to the So You Think You’re Funny competition at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where she won second prize. From that point on, she performed numerous stand-up shows at festivals around Australia, such as the Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival. Wikipedia
But what really makes Nanette stand out is the social commentary it espouses. Usually in stand-up comedy, this is hinted at in succinct anecdotes or throw away remarks (à la Quentin Crisp). Hannah Gadsby dedicated the latter portion of her Netflix special directly addressing several pervasive and uncomfortable issues within the queer community, Fine Art and comedy as a whole. This is at once harrowing, deeply saddening and undeniable.
Netflix’s advertisement for this programme states “behind every joke, there is a story”. Nobody encapsulates this more frankly than Hannah Gadsby. Watching Nanette was nothing short of a revelatory emotional rollercoaster. I challenge you not to be moved.
I must apologise in advance, there is a swear in this poem. If you can bear such a departure from decorum, do go ahead and read. I wrote this poem when I was particularly piqued.
Do enjoy Big Men with Small Feet, which I hope to feature in an upcoming anthology of my least worst work.
The splendid cover photo is from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Sperlonga. The Cyclops Polyphemos and Odysseus is an epoxy resin reconstruction of of Polyphemus’ Group. I do recommend the museum to you if you haven’t been.
The Rijksmuseum is a jewel in Amsterdam’s glorious crown. While the tickets are 20 euros each, every one of those euros are worth it. This collection of masterpieces is among the greatest in the world and I count myself very fortunate in being able to have seen it. This post shall contain my three highlights from the museum and one or two from the temporary exhibition, depending on how I feel by the end of this post.
My first highlight is the magnificent Fishing for Souls, by Adriaen Pietersz. This 1614 piece is not only technically brilliant but it also tells a tale of the political geography of the time. One can see Protestants on the left and Catholics on the right, both trying to strengthen their number by gathering lost souls. Observe the vivacity of the colours here, the contrast is quite striking. Also impressive is the amount of space between the two rivalling factions and what fills this space. Finally, the seemingly metallic rainbow which unites and frames the painting is quite wonderful. A bright future ahead indeed.
At the left are Protestant ministers and leaders of the Republic (including Maurice), and at the right the archdukes who govern the South, with countless Catholic clergymen. The North, according to the painter, has a promising future: the sun shines there, the trees are full of leaves. Whosoever wants to be saved is better off swimming to a Protestant boat. Rijksmuseum
Secondly, I should like to talk about A Windmill on a Polder Waterway, Known as ‘In the Month of July’ A Windmill on a Polder Waterway, by Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël. This piece, thought to have been painted around 1889, is in my view a masterpiece. This is the piece I stood for the longest time admiring, not least because of its enormous size. I bought a print of this piece from the gift shop and it hangs proudly above my bedside table.
Everything about this piece is masterly, but I think what chiefly caught my critical eye was the excellent rendering of the reflection. The way one discovers even more about the scene through it is quite fantastic. The brush strokes are deliberately visible, which I like provided the subject matter at the end is well presented. Further, the variety and brightness of the colours used were unusual for Dutch painters of this era. Overall a superb work.
‘Our country is saturated with colour. … I repeat, our country is not grey, not even in grey weather, nor are the dunes grey’, wrote Constant Gabriël in a letter. Unlike many Hague School painters, he actually enjoyed depicting a beautiful summer day. There are even two of them in this painting: the image of the grass, sky and mill, and their reflection in the water. Rijksmuseum
The final highlight for me was a sculpture, Samson Slaying Two Philistines, by Paul Heermann created circa 1700. This level of intricacy reminds me of my favourite sculpture in Naples, Disillusion Francesco Queirolo, 1753-54. A wonderful article on the sculptures in the Capella Sansevero here.
But back to the sculpture at hand, the first point to note is the scale. This piece was 15cm in height. So intricate! The detail in the musculature is extraordinary. The ribs protruding from exertion; the precision in the depiction of the knee bone; the shoulder blade. Every element of this piece was meticulously thought out and is deeply impressive.
This is a copy of a famous lost statue that Michelangelo made around 1527, just before Heemskerck arrived in Rome. The Italian genius was an endless source of inspiration and perhaps also of competition for the ambitious Heemskerck. He incorporated elements of Michelangelo’s sculpture into two of his Strong Men, namely Hercules Slaying the Centaur Nessus in this gallery and Samson Slaying the Philistines (Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, USA). Rijksmuseum
My final highlight comes from the temporary exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. The Threatened Swan, Jan Asselijn, created circa 1650 struck me. This is due in part to my knowing the painting beforehand, having read about it on the app Daily Art, which sends me daily pieces of art and detailed explanations of each piece.
What most shocked me about this painting I wonder? Perhaps the dew falling from the webbing of the right foot, indicating movement. I think the depiction of the defensive pose is superlative. I also like the dog in the corner making its advance. The swan’s beak also is particularly spectacular.
A swan fiercely defends its nest against a dog. In later centuries this scuffle was interpreted as a political allegory: the white swan was thought to symbolize the Dutch statesman Johan de Witt (assassinated in 1672) protecting the country from its enemies. This was the meaning attached to the painting when it became the very first acquisition to enter the Nationale Kunstgalerij (the forerunner of the Rijksmuseum) in 1880. Rijksmuseum
Overall, The Rijksmuseum provided me with renewed adoration of art as a form and Dutch artists in general. The building itself is magnificent as well, which is an added bonus. I recommend it most heartily.
PS: In case you didn’t know today is my birthday and to stifle the inevitable arrow of time and stop me ageing, I shall need as many compliments as possible. “Oh how very young you still look for your age” etc. Thank you!
Recently I had the grand and heady pleasure of being in Amsterdam. In so going I had planned to avoid sobriety for all of one hour. This was of course the hour of Mass, which I spent solemnly (pun intended) at the Basilica of St Nicholas. Though only 125 years old, this church was uniquely fascinating and undoubtedly splendid.
The church is built on a previously urban site, necessitating a northwest-southeast axis to be adopted, rather than the standard east-west axis. It lies between the street, Prins Hendrikkade, and the canal, Oudezijds Kolk. When built, the church was called St. Nicholas inside the Walls, i.e. inside the Amsterdam City wall, the oldest part of the Amsterdam defence works. The architect, Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912) designed the church based on a combination of several revival styles: the most prominent being the Neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance. Wikipedia
I was criticised last time I posted anything to do with Mass so I shall jeep well away from the subject, suffice to say that the service was rather Dutch and completely unintelligible. I did not comprehend a word of De Heilige Liturgie van de Dertigste Zondag door het jaar. But perhaps this is just as well.
The main facade is flanked by two towers, with a rose window in between. The centre of this window contains a bas-relief sculpture, depicting Christ and the four Evangelists, made in the Van den Bossche and Crevels workshop in 1886. A sculpture of the patron saint of both the church and the city of Amsterdam is also placed in a niche in the upper section of the gable top. The well-known sculptor Bart van Hove (1850-1914) made the sculpture in 1886. Wikipedia
Overall I was impressed, though did not fully appreciate, the magnificent grandeur of this place of worship. And an added benefit of this post is that it falls on my Father’s birthday. Being not in the least bit Catholic, this is sure ti iritate him slightly, which is ever son’s duty in the end.
Bleijs used a variety of revival styles during his construction of the church. Baroque and Renaissance are the two most prevalent styles that are seen. The beautiful façade has a rose window situated perfectly between the two towers and is the main focal point of the exterior. There is a stunning bas relief depicting Chris that was created in 1886. The relief was made by Van den Bossche in his workshop and includes the four Evangelists with Christ. Netherlands Tourism
This eye catching headline does not do justice to the depth (pun intended) of wonder and awe which this film inspires in me. I think this is a tremendously accomplished film in terms of visual impact and power of plot. At the end, one feels compelled to love each of the characters and see their unique place in this extraordinary story.
Having recently lost his closest friend to the jaws of a strange sea predator, oceanic adventurer-cum-filmmaker Steve Zissou (Murray) sets out to find and kill the beast he’s dubbed the “jaguar shark”. Along the way, though, he has to deal with a prim Brit journalist (Blanchett), a man claiming to be his son (Wilson), and impending financial ruin. Empire
I’ve often decried my status as a film critic. This perceived status is most obviously a sham, I am a food critic at best and pompous, pious snob at worst. But this film is close to my heart. A dear friend of mine, Emily, who is “in film”, invited me to a Wes Anderson All Nighter at the Prince Charles Theatre in London. This was during our second year at university. Being an impressionable child then I assented. What unfolded over the evening changed my perception of film and indeed my life. No film more so than The Life Aquatic.
The family’s kit, craft and uniform are quaintly marooned in the 1960s of Cousteau, while Zissou’s hated enemy and rival explorer Alistair Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum) luxuriates in state-of-the-art gadgetry. Willem Dafoe plays Zissou’s trusty crewmember Klaus; Anjelica Huston is his semi-estranged wife Eleanor, “the brains behind Team Zissou”; and Owen Wilson is aboard as Ned, a huge fan of Zissou and also his illegitimate son. The Guardian
This film is the most idiosyncratic of all the Wes Anderson films. It is without a doubt visually stunning. the character development is perhaps not the strongest I have seen in Wes Anderson filmography and the romance between Wilson and Blanchett was misplaces but then again so were they. This, like many Wes films, tells the story of a collection of outcasts fighting against a system which does not favour them. I suppose this is indicative of why it resonates with me so very much .
His slavish attention to music results in an interesting mix of laidback acoustic cover versions and deliberately dated, analogue-electro flurries. Empire
A true highlight for me is the soundtrack. Seu Jorge’s acoustic versions of dated Bowie hits were just perfection. Even when Indonesian pirates were boarding the Belafonte, he was strumming away with abandon. Jorge’s version of Life on Mars made me cry. Such a beauteous collection of timeless quality pieces is rare, though not so rare I suppose in Wes world (you’ll recall Nico’s These Days in The Royal Tenenbaums). And you’ll be glad to hear that the soundtrack is available on all good streaming services. Being a person of impossibly high taste, I found mine on Deezer.
Of course, the film’s most resonant moment is the climactic meeting between Zissou and the vividly animated jaguar shark, with the disparate crew united in awe for this near-mythical beast. “I wonder if it remembers me,” says the leader, fighting back tears, as the strings of Sigur Ros’s “Starálfur” swell in the background. The character, so hardened and disillusioned by life’s endless shitstorm, finally drops his guard. Esquire
Overall, an undeniable masterpiece. My favourite Wes Anderson film by far. This film moved me deeply and I have no doubt that overall, you’ll not fail to see it’s merit.
The Hague is the capital of the province of South Holland, the seat of government of the Netherlands and hosts the International Court of Justice, one of the most important courts in the world. Being a fledgling in the legal industry, you can imagine my excitement at going to such a city. This was enhanced by the opportunity of seeing some masterly Dutch paintings.
The museum houses the Royal Cabinet of Paintings which consists of 854 objects, mostly Dutch Golden Age paintings. The collections contains works by Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael, Hans Holbein the Younger, and others. Originally, the 17th century building was the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau. Wikipedia
For the sake of the blind, I shall give you my top three highlights from the museum. Doing so will spare me embarrassment and make this post more easily digestible.
The above is by Peter Paul Rubens and is titled ‘Old Woman and Boy with Candles’. A Caravaggio-esque rendering gives this painting quite a luxurious feel. This painting was not created to be sold, it is believed Rubens kept it in his personal collection as a study for his pupils. And one can see why. Personally I think this is nothing short of a masterpiece. The way that light is portrayed as fluid and moving, the quasi crude showcasing of the aged woman contrasted with the stark youth of the boy observing her – everything about this piece just astonishes me.
Portrait of an old man by Rembrandt, finished 1667, is another highlight for me. I love a rough painting, one where the brush strokes are visible and meant to be seen. This relaxed old man was likely a friend of Rembrandts. One would not pay someone to paint them thus! I just love the expression, as though he has never been seated before. the way the stubble is painted on with one brush stroke is quite impressive too.
The portrait is very virtuoso, and Rembrandt knew exactly what he was doing. In some places he used his palette knife, and elsewhere he scratched in the wet paint with the handle of his brush. This is how he suggested the springy grey hairs under the edge of the hat. Mauritshuis
Jan Davidsz de Heem, Vase of Flowers, circa 1670 is our final highlight. Can you guess what really stood out for me in this piece?
Jan Davidsz de Heem was the most influential flower painter of his day. He spent various periods in Antwerp, where he became acquainted with the effusiveness of the south. Mauritshuis
For me the most outstanding aspect of this piece is the reflection in the vase in which objects on the window sill can be seen distinctly. I also notice on the shiny flesh around the exposed core of the central peach. The variety of wildlife and the detail given to each petal is also astonishing. This is a high quality image, but imagine seeing this in person.
If you’re in the Hague, please consider going to see the National Gallery, you won’t be disappointed.
