"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture
and, if possible, speak a few reasonable words." ~Goethe

~ also, if possible, to dwell in "a house where all's accustomed, ceremonious." ~Yeats

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Going Barefoot

GOING BAREOOT OR WEARING SHOES:
WHICH IS MORE ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS?
Barefoot Prodigy (1963)
Gold Medal of Honor ~ National Arts Club of New York
By Martha Elizabeth Moore (1913 - 1982)
Two weeks ago, my fortnightly blog post featured various paintings and pictures that have been eliminated from our walls due to lack of space. The Barefoot Prodigy is yet another one, gone but not forgotten, and worthy of commemoration. This musically themed piece of art has been in my life for about as long as I can remember, as a 5 x7 cardboard print from the "Royale Academie Collection of Precious Miniatures," which I'm guessing was a way to teach kids about art. Apparently, the series contained numerous other prints, but this was the only one in our house, propped on the piano throughout my gradeschool and highschool years.
Somewhere along the way, two things happened: 1.) I bought a poster-sized print of The Barefoot Prodigy and had it framed; 2.) I retrieved the 5 x 7 print from my mother's house (during her downsizing) and stored it in my piano bench. Our own recent downsizing required us to part with the over-sized Prodigy, but luckily the smaller version from my childhood was on hand and is now once again propped on the piano, reminding us daily to practice our music with the earnestness of this serious, barefoot child.

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On another wall of our home hung the print of another barefoot child, Marc Chagall's daughter Ida:

Ida at the Window (1924)
Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985)

These two Chagall prints,
in pastel green and blue frames,
graced our guest room for many years.

Flowers in Mourillon (1926)
Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985)


More Barefoot Connections

1.
Beloved coming of age novel
I Will Go Barefoot All Summer For You, Toby Bright
by Katie Letcher Lyle (1938 - 2016)
2. A couple of fabulous songs, Sweet Old World & You Will Be the Light, both of which include searching for truth and going barefoot, not necessarily related themes, but in this case, yes! Whenever I hear either one of these songs, I always think of the other and have to play them both.

You Will Be the Light
You'll never be the sun turning in the sky
And you won't be the moon above us on a moonlit night
And you won't be the stars in heaven
Although they burn so bright
But even on the deepest ocean
You will be the light

You may not always shine
As you go barefoot over stone

You might be so long together
Or you might walk alone
And you won't find that love comes easy
But that love is always right
So even when the dark clouds gather
You will be the light

And if you lose the part inside
When loves turns round on you
Leaving the past behind
Is knowing you'll do like you always do
Holding you blind, keeping you true

You'll never be the sun turning in the sky
And you won't be the moon above us on a moonlit night
And you won't be the stars in heaven
Although they burn so bright
But even on the deepest ocean
You will be the light


Songwriter: Donagh Long
Performed by: Dolly, Emmylou, Linda
Also by Dolores Keane

******************

This Sweet Old World
See what you lost when you left this world, this sweet old world
See what you lost when you left this world, this sweet old world
The breath from your own lips, the touch of fingertips
A sweet and tender kiss

The sound of a midnight train, wearing someone's ring
Someone calling your name
Somebody so warm cradled in your arm
Didn't you think you were worth anything

See what you lost when you left this world, this sweet old world
See what you lost when you left this world, this sweet old world

Millions of us in love, promises made good
Your own flesh and blood
Looking for some truth, dancing with no shoes
The beat, the rhythm, the blues
The pounding of your heart's drum together with another one

Didn't you think anyone loved you See what you lost when you left this world, this sweet old world
. . .

Music & lyrics by Lucinda Williams
[ More about Lucinda]

3. Play ~ movie ~ television series
Barefoot in the Park
by Neil Simon (1927 - 2018)
Thanks to Nancy!

Next Fortnightly Post ~ Kitchen Art
Wednesday, September 14th

Between now and then, read
THE QUOTIDIAN KIT
my shorter, almost daily blog posts
www.dailykitticarriker.blogspot.com

Looking for a good book? Try
KITTI'S LIST
my running list of recent reading
www.kittislist.blogsppot.com

Sunday, August 14, 2022

To See A Fine Picture

WALL ART FOR THE HOME
ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS
The Blue Vase (1887)
by Paul Cezanne (1839 - 1906)

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song,
read a good poem, see a fine picture
and, if possible, speak a few reasonable words
." ~Goethe

Moving dilemma: more large windows = lots more light but a lot less wall space. Bittersweet solution: time to bid farewell to some of our favorite wall art.

The deaccessioning began with the brass rubbings (thanks Robert) and the sheet music (thanks Town & Gown). Next came numerous frames and prints suitable for studio use (thanks Artists' Own) and a collection of musically themed paintings (thanks Daniel). The down - sizing continued, with the help of our artistic, literary, and creative friends who were all willing to adopt, re-envision, and repurpose our surplus objets d'art (thanks Beata, Katie, Katy).

Gone from my walls but never forgotten, these pictures (and so many others) will always have a spot in my heart and on my blog:

An Al Fresco Toilette (1889)
Luke Fildes (1843–1927)
[Along with Seurat]

The Cello Player (1896)
Thomas Eakins (1844 – 1916)

The Fifer (1866)
Edouard Manet (1832 – 1883)

Parisian Interior (1910)
Jozsef Rippl-Ronai (1861 – 1927)
&

An Old-Fashioned Garden (1915)
Anne Bremer (1868 – 1923)

One of Gerry's Long-Time Favs
Of Unknown Provenance

******************

A Tale from the Decameron (1916)
John William Waterhouse (1849 - 1917)

The Enchanted Garden (1916 - 17)
John William Waterhouse (1849 - 1917)

Apple Blossoms (1856- 59)
John Everett Millais (1829 - 1896)
[See also: "Love Is Not All"]

Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil (1873)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919)

L’Envoi: Earth's Last Picture

When Earth’s last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried
When the oldest colors have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it—lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workers shall set us to work anew!

And those that were good will be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comet’s hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from—Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!

And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame;
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in our separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as we see It for the God of Things as They Are!

(1896)

by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)

******************

Next Fortnightly Post ~ Going Barefoot
Sunday, August 28th

Between now and then, read
THE QUOTIDIAN KIT
my shorter, almost daily blog posts
www.dailykitticarriker.blogspot.com

Looking for a good book? Try
KITTI'S LIST
my running list of recent reading
www.kittislist.blogsppot.com